The NYPD has released images of one of the shooters involved in a shooting outside a Bronx café early Thursday morning that left four people injured.
Law enforcement sources said the gun violence erupted at about 2:15 a.m. on April 13 near the Isla Café located at 1859 Westchester Ave. in Soundview.
According to law enforcement sources, the four victims — including three women — were congregated near the entrance when the suspects, described as two men, approached and opened fire. The motive for the shooting remains unknown and under investigation, sources said.
Citizen reported that a nearby ShotSpotter device detected at least 10 possible gunshots; ShotSpotter is the NYPD’s citywide network of sensors designed to pick up possible sounds of gunfire, and evoke a quick response. Police sources, however, could not confirm the approximate number of fired shots in the café shooting.
After raining bullets upon them, police sources reported, the culprits hopped into a nearby black sedan and took off in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 43rd Precinct, in responding to 911 calls about the shooting, found three of the victims at the scene, all women: A 37-year-old shot in the leg, a 30-year-old grazed in the shoulder, and a 44-year-old grazed in the head.
EMS rushed the three women to Jacobi Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition, police reported.
Detectives later learned that the fourth victim, a 28-year-old man shot in the leg, sought treatment via private means at Lincoln Hospital. He, too, is in stable condition, police sources said.
Before this incident, the 43rd Precinct had reported a 50% drop in shootings and shooting victims, from 12 to 6, year-t0-date through April 9, according to its most recent CompStat report. Overall crime in the command is up slightly for the year, by a little more than 1%.
As for Thursday’s shooting, police described one of the suspects as a man with a medium complexion who was seen wearing a black mask, a black hooded sweatshirt, and black pants.
His cohort, whose image was not available, is believed to be a man with a medium complexion and a medium build, police noted.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
