A 17-year-old was critically injured and rushed to the hospital last night after being shot inside a Brooklyn community center. The incident unfolded around 7:30 p.m. at the Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center in the Crown Heights neighborhood of New York City, according to Brooklyn Paper.
The unidentified teenager was hit in the abdomen and immediately transported to Health+Hospitals/Kings County in critical condition.
Details surrounding the circumstances that led to the shooting remain unclear. Authorities are still piecing together the events that unfolded, but they suspect that the teenager was deliberately targeted amid a dispute. According to ABC News, a firearm was found at the scene, and the shooter fled the area shortly after the shooting.
The Major R. Owens Health & Wellness Community Center, named in honor of the late Congressman Major R. Owens who passed away in 2013, offers a range of community services, including adult and youth sports programs, performing arts, and visual arts activities. It is not yet known during which of these activities the shooting occurred.
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As of now, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified in connection with the shooting. The police are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward. Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or in Spanish at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Additionally, information can be shared via the website crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by texting 274637 (CRIMES), followed by TIP577. All tips will be kept strictly confidential.
This incident follows a string of gun violence events in Crown Heights. Last week, a 26-year-old man died of a gunshot wound to the chest, and his friend was injured in a daytime shooting. Just days before that, a 31-year-old man was shot dead while arguing with another individual during a Caribbean music album release party held at an event hall in the early morning hours.
A concerning trend is emerging in New York, with young individuals increasingly involved in gun violence as both victims and perpetrators. Shootings and knife attacks involving young people have been on the rise. An NYPD report from September revealed that recidivism among teenagers had surged dramatically over the past five years, with the number of young gunmen and their underage victims tripling.