NEW YORK — Police responded to more than a dozen shootings across New York City this weekend, an NYPD spokesperson said Sunday.
Seventeen people were injured in 16 shootings between 12 a.m. Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, according to the NYPD. Later on Sunday, a woman was shot in the stomach in Laurelton and two men were shot in Red Hook.
One of the victims was a 28-year-old woman who was shot in the stomach by a stray bullet while leaving a party in Brooklyn, according to police.
The shooting happened around 11:20 p.m. Saturday outside 160 Van Brunt St. in Red Hook, police said. A group of men were arguing outside the location when gunshots rang out, authorities said.
The victim, a former NYPD officer who retired in 2019 after serving seven years on the force, was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive, according to police.
No arrests have been made, as of Sunday morning.
The string of shootings happened just days after Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a citywide plan to prevent gun violence this summer.
A de Blasio spokesperson on Sunday affirmed their commitment to making New York City safe.
“Bringing our city back from COVID-19 means making sure every New Yorker feels safe and is safe in their neighborhood,” the spokesperson said. “Any shooting in our city is one too many, and we’re determined end to gun violence in our city, from enhancing neighborhood patrols in areas with high rates violence of gun violence, to more violence-prevention resources for young people, our Safe Summer NYC plan is the comprehensive plan we need to end gun violence and bring communities together.”
After years of record-low crime statistics, 2020 was one of the bloodiest years for New York City in nearly a decade.
The city recorded 447 killings as of Dec. 29, 2020, a 41% increase over 2019 and the largest number since 2011. The number of people shot more than doubled the previous year’s total, nearing a 14-year high.
While overall crime has gone down 11% so far in 2021 compared to the same time period last year, shootings continue to plague the city. There were 492 gun arrests citywide in March 2021, a 66.8% increase compared to March 2020, according to the NYPD.
De Blasio said his Safe Summer NYC initiative aims to curb gun violence by increasing community investment, strategically increasing police presence in targeted areas and improving coordination with the court system.
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.
