ASTORIA, Queens (PIX11) — Police are searching for the person who shot and killed two young men in Astoria, Queens, on Friday.
Police said they were called multiple times for a shooting on Steinway Street around 10:30 p.m. When police arrived, they found Xavier Roberts, 22, with a gunshot wound to the torso. Police said a second victim, Jaheim Hamilton, 21, was found inside a building on 38th Street with gunshot wounds to the torso.
“I was coming out of my apartment a couple blocks away and I heard, it must’ve been 20 shots and repetitious and bang bang bang bang bang. I thought it was firecrackers at first,“ said Chris Luth.
“Boom boom boom boom boom. We saw two people running. They shot him like seven times,” said neighborhood resident Mohammed Hussain.
Police determined Hamilton was shot in the same area as Roberts. Both men were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Detectives spent all day tracking down leads in the case, but no arrests have been made.
Long-time residents said they’ve noticed a significant uptick in crime since more clubs have opened up in the neighborhood.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
