Cuomo Aide Shot Before West Indian Day Parade Is Dead
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has died nine days after he was shot in the crossfire between two gangs in the hours before the West Indian Day parade.
The NYPD made the announcement late Wednesday night about Carey Gabay.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo released a statement in the wake of Gabay's death.
"Carey was the epitome of an outstanding public servant. He held a tremendous commitment to his community, and he chose to use his many talents to better the lives of others. New York is undeniably a better place today because of his service. He was also a friend and role model to the many people who were blessed to have known him, and he will be greatly missed," Cuomo said. "Today, the State of New York has lost one of its finest young men."
Gabay's family had said earlier in the day that he had been declared brain dead.
"Many have come to know Carey through professional life, but he is also a kind-hearted and selfless soul who has touched the spirit of everyone he's met," Gabay's family said in a statement. "His zest for life speaks volumes.
Cuomo Aide Shot Before West Indian Day Parade Is Brain Dead
"Carey has been fighting bravely surrounded by the loved ones to whom he has brought so much joy with his jovial nature, generosity of spirit and enduring smile," the statement continued.
The 43-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer served as first deputy general counsel at the Empire State Development Corp.
He was shot in the head during a predawn party celebrating the parade Sept. 7. Gabay was walking with his brother near the Brooklyn parade route at 3:40 a.m. when he was shot.
"Our family is grieving that a man in the prime of his life who has impacted so many lives could be struck down by such a callous act," his family said. "Carey embodies the American story. A son of Jamaican immigrants, he rose from Bronx public housing to earn an undergraduate and law degree from Harvard and then went on to a distinguished career as a lawyer in private practice and well-respected public servant."
Cuomo Aide Shot Before West Indian Day Parade Is Brain Dead
Cuomo repeated earlier Wednesday what he said when he first learned of the stray-bullet shooting by pressing for federal gun control.
"I understand this is politically a difficult issue. I get it, but the job comes first, the responsibility comes first, and this is a national crisis at this point," he said.
No one has been arrested in the shooting. Police have released video and a sketch of a man wanted for questioning.
The shooting was one of several outbursts of violence in the neighborhoods surrounding the parade.
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