May Kicks-off With a Bang; Seven Injured in 18-Hour Shooting Spree

By David Greene

Seven men were recovering from their injuries after three separate shootings, over an 18-hour period across the borough.

In the first shooting, police were called to an apartment building at 710 Hunts Point Avenue at 12:15 a.m., on Sunday, May 1.

Police discovered three male victims wounded outside the building, after four men in ski masks opened fire. Investigators say three of the shooters wore blue jeans, the fourth wore a pink jogging outfit.

One female resident recalled, "I don't know what happened, I just heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pop and I don't even know who they were, the ones who got shot."

"Sometimes they just hang out in the building," the resident continued, "but they don't bother me, no."

A second resident was asked if he felt safe in the building, replying, "Not really, the lock on the front door of the building is always damaged."

That resident added, "The landlord fixes it but once it's broken, it stays that way for a while and something else like this will occur, in order for him to fix it."

The resident couldn't say if the young men and teens, who are often seen roaming the halls at all hours of the day and night-- were selling drugs, but replied, "I wouldn't be surprised."

At 2:50 p.m. that same day, another unidentified male was shot inside the Thomas Gardens apartment complex at 840 Grand Concourse, which is directly across the street from the Bronx County Courthouse.

One resident, who declined to be identified stated he heard five gunshots as residents in and around the courtyard scattered for cover.

As police kept residents from entering the complex, one female resident warned another about the block’s history of gun violence of the old days, stating, "It calmed down for several years, but it looks like it's starting up again."

That victim was shot in the stomach, but was expected to survive. Police were looking for the gunman, described as a Hispanic male, wearing a black shirt with a spider web design on it.

Police were then called to a third shooting outside a deli, located at 224 Willis Avenue, when two men were shot at 5:30 p.m.

A police source confirmed that seven shell casings from a .40 caliber handgun were recovered at the scene.

Detectives were still searching for all of the gunmen in all three cases, anyone with any information is asked to call CrimeStopper's at 1 (800) 577-TIPS, all callers remain anonymous.