Police hunt for Brooklyn playground gunman
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A manhunt was underway Monday by the NYPD for the person or persons who opened fired in Brooklyn Saturday night at a block party that left one person dead and 11 others with gunshot wounds.
The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. at a playground in the area of Hegeman Ave. and Christopher Ave. in the Brownville section near the Brownsville Recreation Center. An annual Old Timers event was being held outside the recreation center. A concert had just ended to close out the event for the evening.
Panic followed the shooting as people ran from the scene.
Police identified the victim as Jason Pagan, 38 of Brooklyn. Sources said he was a known member of the bloods gang and likely the intended target. Investigators were working on the theory that this was a gang-related shooting.
Police released this information about the other victims:
44 year-old male with a gunshot wound to the torso.
25 year-old female with a gunshot wound to the wrist.
55 year-old male with a gunshot wound to the torso.
26 year-old male with a gunshot wound to the hand.
21 year-old male with a gunshot wound to the side of the head.
41 year-old female with a gunshot wound to the side of the head.
27 year-old male with a gunshot wound to the torso.
39 year-old female with a gunshot wound to the hand.
30 year-old male with a gunshot wound to the torso, arm, and wrist.
35 year-old female with a gunshot wound to the torso.
35 year-old female with a gunshot wound to the torso.
A black semi-automatic gun was found at the scene, but police were still trying to figure out if there was more than one shooter.
Video from the scene showed a chaotic scene and a large crowd of people. Police were trying to move people away from the area.
A New York City fire department spokesman said just after midnight Sunday that at least six people were transported to local hospitals, with some in serious condition. The Associated Press said that he described the scene as "fluid."
At around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, a New York City police spokesman said 11 people had been shot, but that he couldn't confirm their conditions. No further details were provided.
Many now say this tragedy was an example of New York City descending into the crime-ridden times of the past.
"We have to step up as a community, we can’t keep allowing this to happen thinking it’s the norm, it can’t be the norm,” said Tony Herbert, President of the National Action Network- Brooklyn East.
Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed back on that narrative Sunday.
“This tragedy does not define Brownsville, does not define the people of Brownsville, it does not define what’s happening on the ground in a community that has worked so hard and come so far.”
A reward was being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the gunman.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
Police said that callers could remain anonymous.