1 Dead, 2 Injured In East Williamsburg Shooting
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A teenage girl was caught in the crossfire of a shooting that left one man dead and another injured in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
The shooting happened just before 8 a.m. at Grattan Street and Knickerbocker Avenue in East Williamsburg.
According to police, the shooting happened after three men were apparently casing out cars on the block, possibly to break into them, 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reported.
The men were seen rummaging through a white minivan parked in front of ABNY Mechanical Corp., where the van's owner works, CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported. An employee confronted them, and his co-workers heard the argument and joined the altercation, chasing after the men, authorities said. One suspect then fired five shots, police said.
Michael Matusiak, 53, was shot in the upper torso and died at the scene, police said.
A woman was seen trying to help Matusiak, but it was too late. Somebody then put a coat over him.
A 57-year-old man suffered graze wounds to his chest and ear. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition.
A 13-year-old girl was grazed on the hip by a bullet while walking to school, Rivera reported. She is listed in stable condition at Elmhurst Hospital. Her father told Sanchez by phone she is recovering well.
No arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.
"We believe the perpetrators ran down the street," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said. "We don't know where right now."
Police said they have surveillance video of the three suspects prior to the shooting carrying property that was stolen from other cars. They had not released the video as of Tuesday afternoon.
Anthony Cabrera, a close friend and neighbor of Matusiak's, said he wasn't surprised to hear Matusiak was trying to stop a car break-in.
"That's just Mike," Cabrera said. "Mike was like the neighborhood handyguy. If anybody needed help with anything, they would go to Mike.
"Everybody's in shock right now," he added. "Nobody can believe it's true."
"It was upsetting, you know," neighbor Michael Caruso of Matusiak's death. "A nice guy. He's young. Trying to help someone else.
Childhood friend Kevin O'Connor said Matusiak, known by those close to him as "Mush," had two adult daughters and grandchildren. He had recently lost his job and was hired by friends at ABNY. Tuesday was his second day on the job.
O'Connor said he hoped to hire him at his auto body shop.
"I have no work for him," O'Connor said. "I couldn't put him to work. It's a small shop. Unfortunately, I wish I did.
"Was a great guy -- friend, everything else, family."
