Newburgh Police Searching For Suspects Behind Shooting That Injured 4 Teens
NEWBURGH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Newburgh are looking for the young suspects behind a shooting that left four teenagers hurt.
Community members took to the streets Friday, sounding off about gun violence plaguing the city.
Disturbing video shows a fight in the street Wednesday afternoon followed by the sound of gunfire and teens literally running for their lives.
Newburgh Police were alerted to the gunshots on William Street and found a crime scene spanning several blocks. Four teens, ages 16-18, were shot.
"In this incident, four different handguns were discharged," Newburgh Police Commissioner Jose Gomerez said. "Seventeen shell casings were discovered from multiple scenes."
Newburgh Police released new video after the incident, which shows injured teens trying to get into cars and a suspect next to a school bus firing his gun, allegedly toward police.
"This is a call for action for all the stakeholders in this community to act ... and to address our troubled youth," Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey said.
The shooting prompted the two-day closure of some Newburgh Free Academy campuses and a peace walk Friday afternoon.
The gathering was organized by SNUG, Newburgh's anti-gun violence outreach program, funded by the state's division of criminal justice services, made up of community members like Orenzo Charles.
"To have this presence is something I didn't have when I was this age, so to be out here to give these kids an opportunity to know they have an alternative to that decision," Charles said.
- To contact SNUG, email Charles at ocharles@recap.org.
Jemika Hall lost her 17-year-old son, D'Marcus Hooper, to gun violence. She says she left Newburgh to escape the violence and moved to Virginia. Sadly, D'Marcus was shot and killed there.
She joined Friday's walk and is spreading awareness of her Newburgh support group in his memory. After she moved back to New York, she started "Marc's Friends," which includes support groups, trauma-informed care, community outreach and various other assistance.
"My goal for this space is ultimately become like a teen drop-in outreach center where it's surfaced around families and teens that are going through trauma or tragic loss," Hall said.
Marc's Friends runs solely on donations and grants.
- For more information, visit their Facebook page or email marcsfriends2020@gmail.com.
According to police, there has been a 19% increase in violent crime in Newburgh compared to 2020.
Police say three of the teens have been discharged from the hospital. One is still hospitalized in stable condition.
No suspects have been identified yet but are believed to be younger group-involved members tied to the city.
This is the second time this week a shooting shut down a Hudson Valley school. A separate shooting outside Poughkeepsie High School led to its closure on Tuesday.
