Man Killed, 2 Hospitalized In Fourth Of July Block Party Shooting On Long Island
ROOSEVELT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A man is dead, two people are hospitalized and police are looking for a suspect after gunfire erupted at a Fourth of July block party on Long Island.
According to detectives, two groups got into a fight at the party in Roosevelt, but they're not sure what started the altercation, CBS2's John Dias reported Monday.
There is an active investigation around Hudson Avenue, where the remnants of an Independence Day block party remain practically untouched.
Cellphone video shows the hectic scene moments after a verbal dispute between two groups of people turned deadly Sunday night.
Nassau County police arrived around 7:30 p.m. to find 27-year-old Tavon Greenhill of Hempstead fatally shot.
"It shouldn't have ever happened," one neighbor said. "He didn't have a life to live."
The shooting happened in front of two bounce houses where children were playing.
A child's sandal was left behind after witnesses said the kids and parents ran for their lives.
"Innocent children could have got shot, right there," the neighbor added.
"I heard shots and I said those don't sound like firecrackers," another woman said. "And then a couple of people ran around the corner and they were screaming, like hurt. Not like they were shot, but like they knew somebody who got just shot. Like, 'No! No!' Like that, and it was intense. So I went back in my building."
Detectives said the two other victims, a 31-year-old woman from Uniondale and a 21-year-old man from Hempstead, are in stable condition. Police are not releasing their names at this time.
Some neighbors were relieved they weren't around to see the violence.
"I was just thinking thank God that we weren't here," a neighbor said.
Henry Joseph has lived on the street for almost 30 years. He said the party is a tradition, but he's glad he didn't participate this year.
"A lot of strangers, I see a lot of kids coming, but they don't live here," Joseph said. "It's very scary... Every year they have a block party here, but I've never seen anything like this."
Other neighbors said it was a scaled-back version of the annual party, which made the violence even more shocking.
"Everything looked like it was missing," said Michelle Cruz. "I've never seen something like this. Like, no people in the street, no nothing."
Police are not ruling out gang activity. They said anything and everything is on the table as they continue the investigation.
So far there are no arrests.
