Three migrants were shot on Sunday, two fatally, in two locations — including outside the Ryerson migrant center in Brooklyn — and the New York Police Department (NYPD) suspects that members of a Venezuelan street gang are involved, according to reports.
The shootings occurred in two locations at around 10:44 p.m., police said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James tried to characterize the shootings as “gun violence” instead of gang violence, and in a statement said, “Last night, two people were killed and one critically injured in Clinton Hill as a result of gun violence.”
“My office is working with the New York City Police Department and local elected officials to get information about these shootings and inform the community,” James added. “We must do more to protect our communities from the dangers of gun violence and ensure that all our neighbors have access to the support they need and feel safe on our streets.”
One man was struck in the chest near Flushing Avenue and Steuben Street outside the Brooklyn Navy Yard and died soon after being transported to Methodist Hospital.
Seven minutes later, two more were gunned down outside the migrant shelter, according to the New York Post.
A 47-year-old man was shot in the head and died, and the other shooting victim was hit multiple times and is fighting for his life at the hospital.
The NYPD says the two shooting incidents — both committed by the same man — are related, and all involved were migrants.
Investigators are working under the assumption that the shooting is tied to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua street gang.
The suspect was riding a motorbike but was struck by a car near the second shooting scene, and police took him into custody.
Federal law enforcement has been increasingly worried about infiltration into the U.S. by the dangerous Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. The growth of the gang has been explosive as President Joe Biden’s migrant crisis continues to worsen and as he works to increase the number of Venezuelans who can enter the U.S.
Federal officials say that apprehensions of Tren de Aragua members were only surpassed in numbers by the apprehension of members of the 18th Street gang, the MS-13 gang, the Paisas gang, the Sureños gang, and the “other” gang category — placing Tren de Aragua sixth on a list of over 50 gangs that Customs and Border Protection monitors.
Police are asking anyone with information about the Brooklyn shooting to call 800-577-TIPS (8477).
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