Newburgh 5-year-old shot in leg, man killed as residents worry about gun violence
NEWBURGH, N.Y. -- Newburgh, a city with many new residents, is dealing with an old problem: gun violence.
A man was killed and a 5-year-old was shot in the leg on Thursday. CBS2's Tony Aiello spoke with the boy's grandmother.
A 7-year-old stayed home from school and safely inside Friday, just feet from the scene where her neighbor was shot dead and her 5-year-old brother was hit during a barrage of gunfire the night before.
"The people, they need to stop using guns for stupid things," said Laura Cruz, the boy's grandmother.
Cruz is grateful her grandson, Isaac Peacock, survived, albeit with a serious leg injury.
Isaac was on his bike at around 7 p.m. Thursday when a man with a gun opened fire - shooting and killing 29-year-old Daquan Corbett.
Corbett's girlfriend said he as walking home with his daughters after cheerleading practice.
The girls were not hurt, but Isaac was not so fortunate.
"There was a lot of screaming, and the mom carrying her shot child around the street, like screaming for help," said Alexa Wilkinson, one of many relocating to Newburgh for affordable housing in renovated historic homes.
The shooting scene is just two blocks from trendy businesses on Liberty Street and across from a pre-K center - shuttered and slated for development.
"They could've turned it into something that would've been safe for these kids and it's not. And now a boy is shot," said Wilkinson.
Thursday night, Newburgh's police commissioner visited Isaac at Westchester Medical Center and later said it was "disheartening" to see the little boy in such pain.
The commissioner said the community needs to step up to help solve the crime and push back against gun violence.
Newburgh Police recovered a handgun at the scene and witnesses reported hearing five to seven gunshots.