Two girls, ages 9 and 11, were shot and wounded as they played in a playground in Brooklyn, in a neighborhood where the number of homicides has tripled this year.
The young victims were playing at Hilltop Playground on Dean St. near Thomas Boyland St. in Brownsville when a gunman came up and sprayed bullets around 9:05 p.m., police and sources said.
The older girl was shot once in the back and the 9-year-old was shot in the leg.
A witness said she heard about five bullets go off and saw the girls fall to the ground.
“Someone put them in a car and took them to the hospital,” said the woman, who asked not to be named. “It’s crazy here.”
The girls were taken to Brookdale Hospital, where they were expected to recover.
After the shooting, police searched for surveillance footage that could help identify the shooter, who is still wanted.
The NYPD’s 73rd Precinct, which covers the borough, has seen an increase in homicides this year, with 12 homicides this year through May 26, compared to just four during the same period last year.
Last week there were 23 shooting incidents with 27 victims in the area so far this year. That is an increase compared to the 14 incidents with 15 victims in the same time frame in 2023.
On Sunday, 14-year-old Jasai Guy was killed at nearby Howard Houses when his 12-year-old cousin shot him in what appeared to be an accident, police and sources said.
The 12-year-old boy was charged with manslaughter, negligent homicide and criminal possession of a weapon.
