A tragic event has shaken New York City. A seven-month-old baby was shot dead while in her stroller in broad daylight in the Brooklyn neighborhood.
City police have stated that the minor was the unintended victim of a suspected gang-related attack.
According to authorities, two people were riding a motorcycle against the flow of traffic in the Williamsburg area when the rear passenger pulled out a gun and fired several shots. The motorcycle crashed shortly after the shooting and one of the suspects was arrested, while the driver is still being sought.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the event a "devastating reminder" of the need to fight gun violence.
"A life that had just begun was taken in an instant," he said, quoted by the BBC.
Several adults and children, two of whom were in strollers, were on a street corner when the shooting occurred. The baby's parents took shelter in a nearby store, where they realized their daughter had been seriously injured. Despite the rapid intervention of emergency services and transport to Woodhull Hospital, the baby was pronounced dead.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident as "indescribable" and stressed that the family's pain is unimaginable.
Police footage showed the suspects crashed into a car shortly after fleeing the scene.
Both were thrown from the motorcycle, but the rear passenger fell so hard that he lost “both of his shoes,” Tisch said. An ambulance was called for the injured man, and he was taken to Brooklyn Hospital, where he was later taken into custody by police.
Investigators believe he matches the description of the shooter, based on his clothing and appearance, but was taken into custody as part of another investigation. Police are working to connect him to the shooting.