2 teens shot near Long Island home of Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin
SHIRLEY, N.Y. -- Police say two teenagers were shot outside Rep. Lee Zeldin's home on Sunday afternoon.
At one point, he says, they were so close, they were right underneath his porch. In incident marks the second scare Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor, has had to face in almost three months.
As CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reported, his family is shaken.
Zeldin was not home at the time, but his daughters were. The entire family is okay, but two people who were shot and found on his property, leaving many unanswered questions.
"I'm standing in front of crime scene tape in front of my own house. You can't get me more outraged than right now," Zeldin said.
Hours after police responded to the shooting, Zeldin was standing alongside his family and walked CBS2 through what happened.
"The two of them were at the kitchen table doing homework and they hear gunshots. One of the bullets was actually found about 30 feet from where they were sitting," Zeldin said.
That happened at around 2:20 p.m. Zeldin and his wife were in the car coming home from the Bronx Columbus Day Parade when they received a frantic phone call from their 16-year-olds, Mikayla and Arianna, who were home alone.
"Right after they heard the gunfire, they heard people screaming, so the girls immediately ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and called 911," Zeldin said.
Suffolk County police quickly responded to the home on Saint George Drive. Once there, Zeldin checked his security cameras. He said he saw three people on his property who he believes were together. One was walking around, and two who were shot and lying near his porch.
"I heard a couple of shots. I'm not sure how many, but I thought it was fireworks," a neighbor said.
The neighbor didn't want to show her face, for safety.
"Three cop cars flew down the block. No sirens, no lights. Then a helicopter started circling," the neighbor said.
At first she said she thought it could be a targeted shooting, but police say it had nothing to do with the Zeldin family.
I’ve been briefed on the shooting outside of Congressman Zeldin’s home. As we await more details, I’m relieved to hear the Zeldin family is safe and grateful for law enforcement's quick response.
— Kathy Hochul (@KathyHochul) October 9, 2022
Rising crime has been a central theme of Zeldin's campaign for governor against Democrat Kathy Hochul.
Hochul tweeted, "I'm relieved to hear the Zeldin family is safe and grateful for law enforcement's quick response."
"It hits really close to home when it shows up on your front doorstep," Zeldin said.
CBS2 was told the incident appears to be gang related. DeAngelis has not seen the surveillance video, but was told it was handed over to police.
Police said a third teenager ran away after the shootings.
Back in July, Zeldin was assaulted while campaigning in upstate New York. A man approached him on stage and swung a sharp object near his head. Zeldin was not hurt and the man was arrested.