Teen Hospitalized In Stable Condition Following Flatbush Shooting
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A 13-year-old boy was in stable condition late Monday afternoon, after being shot in the head in Brooklyn.
As CBS 2's Tony Aiello reported, police said Gama Droiville was with his aunt and younger cousin at around noon on Beverley Road and Flatbush Avenue, in Flatbush-Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, when the shooting took place. The intended target, a 24-year-old man, was also wounded when the shots rang out, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported.
13-Year-Old Boy Shot In Head, Eye In Brooklyn
The young teen and his family quickly ran into a pizzeria to take cover, D'Auria reported. Blood ran down the boy's face and onto the pizzeria floor.
"I was just screaming. I was just crying," said Flatbush Avenue hair-braiding store operator Aissatou Diallo.
Diallo saw the Droiville moments after he was struck, as she walked into her store. A bullet hole was left in the door next to the one for Diallo's business, and shell casings were scattered on the sidewalk.
13-Year-Old Boy Shot In Head, Eye In Brooklyn
"The little boy was standing, and I see him bleeding," she said. "Me and the mother were like going crazy – like, jumping, crying."
CBS 2 has learned that Droiville was struck twice – once in the head and once in the eye. He was taken to Kings County Hospital Center, where he was reported in stable condition and was expected to make a full recovery.
The 24-year-old man who police said was the intended target of the shooting went to the same hospital on his own, police sources said. He suffered an injury to his leg.
The gunfire sent shoppers in a nearby deli scrambling for safety.
"I heard about eight to nine gunshots," the deli owner said. "I thought I was back in my country in the Middle East -- in Yemen – you know what's going on there now, right? This is how it was this morning over there – this afternoon, as a matter of fact. It was crazy."
Nadia Thompson said she was thankful she wasn't outside with her 1-year-old son at the wrong time.
"Puts me at a whole different state of mind how scary this actually is," she told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.
Police have released surveillance photos and video of the suspect. He is described as a black male wearing a black and white hooded sweat shirt with the word "ROC" and the front and back, and "99" on both arms.
Police collected a lot of evidence at the scene, including surveillance video from an anti-crime camera, CBS 2's Aiello reported. Residents said the violence on the first day of spring break for the New York City public schools was frightening.
After police removed the crime tape, a trail of blood remained on the sidewalk.
"It's crazy. It's getting hot out here now," said Crystal Brown of Flatbush. "People start to act crazy, show off, come out. I hope he's OK."
"Randomly like that. It doesn't make any sense. My prayer goes out to the mom and hopefully he will recover," Flatbush resident, Daniella Jean-Pierra said.
Many responding officers – including the deputy inspector – came directly from the funeral of NYPD Officer Dennis Guerra, who was killed earlier this month in a fire in a Coney Island high-rise.
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