A seven-month-old infant, who was in a stroller, was fatally shot by a stray bullet on Wednesday, April 1, in the afternoon, in Brooklyn, USA, when a man opened fire on a group of people, according to AP and Reuters news agencies. The police believe the shooting is linked to a gang war.
“There are no words to ease the pain of this family,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a press conference near the shooting scene. “A life that was just beginning has been cut short in an instant.”
One of the two suspects was apprehended. It was around 1:20 pm on Wednesday when two men on a motorcycle shot at a group of people at an intersection in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The shooters fled but crashed into a vehicle driving in the opposite direction two streets down.
One of the men on the motorcycle was injured in the accident and taken to the hospital, where he was placed in custody for a separate investigation, the police stated. The other man fled and was still being sought by the police Wednesday afternoon.
The baby was taken to Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, but was pronounced dead 25 minutes later, as reported by the New York Times.
“This is a terrible day for our city, a tragedy that deeply upsets us,” said Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch at the press briefing. “As a mother, I can’t imagine the pain of this family or the sorrow they carry. It’s indescribable.”
On Sunday, the New York Police Department (NYPD) had recorded 52 homicides since the beginning of 2026, a 29% decrease compared to the same period last year. According to a report from the NYPD, the number of shootings decreased by 23.9% in 2025 compared to 2024, and homicides decreased by 19.1%.
