In Wake Of Killing Of 10-Year-Old, Wounding Of 12-Year-Old, Mayor De Blasio Blames Feds, State For NYC's Gun Violence
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two children were the innocent victims of gun violence in the city over the weekend. Mayor Bill de Blasio blames the feds and the state, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the mayor is in denial.
But none of the finger pointing can change the reality that the city has so far failed to stem the tide of gun violence. Shootings are up 68% so far this year, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported Monday.
The terrifying flash of a gun -- over and over again. A masked gunman firing through a railing and hitting 29-year-old Kyle Forrester and killing his young cousin, 10-year-old Justin Wallace, was what brought NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea to the family's Far Rockaway home on Monday.
"To lend support to the family and know that we're going to do everything possible to get justice," Shea said.
READ MORE: Manhunt Continues For Gunman Who Shot And Killed 10-year-Old Justin Wallace In Queens
But while Shea offered his condolences, he had little in the way of solutions to the gun violence that has plagued the city for months.
There have been 687 shooting victims so far in 2021 in the city, compared to 409 at this time last year. Among them were the 19 people shot over the weekend, which also included a double shooting in the Bronx, where a 12-year-old girl was hit in the ankle.
"We cant lose anymore children. Our babies out here are dying. We have to come together as a city to deal with this," NYPD Chief of Community Affairs Jeffrey Maddrey said.
But Mayor de Blasio, who visited the family over the weekend, was busy playing the blame game. In addition to demanding the feds stop guns from coming into the city, he advanced a new way to blame the state, saying it doesn't do enough to help parolees re-enter society.
"The sad reality is that the state government dumps state prisoners, parolees, into New York City, and the facts are clear. State parolees are more likely to be shooting suspects than they have been in the past," de Blasio said.
The mayor offered no information about whether the man wanted in connection with the killing of Wallace was a parolee, saying, when asked, only, "The parole issue is looming larger and larger."
Meanwhile, Gov. Cuomo put the issue of gun violence squarely in the mayor's lap.
"Right now, you have high crime rates in reality and in perception. You never solve a problem that you deny.," Cuomo said.
The governor said crime and gun violence have implications for the mayor's race, and that he does not agree with those who want to defund the police.