Vigil to end gun violence held near site of Brooklyn subway shooting
NEW YORK -- Tuesday marks one week since the subway shooting in Brooklyn that left more than two dozen people hurt.
A vigil was held near the scene in Sunset Park on Monday night, featuring a push to end gun violence, CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reported.
From religious leaders offering prayer to elected officials with passionate pleas, many local leaders and community groups gathered at the corner of 36th Street and 4th Avenue on Monday night, near the scene of last week's subway shooting.
"Fight against gun violence!" Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte said.
An April 12, a quiet morning soon became a war zone. Ten people were shot and more than a dozen others were hurt.
"We're here today to pray for our victims and thank God they're still alive," district leader Arelis Martinez said.
The vigil was about standing in solidarity and rallying for gun control.
"As an Assembly member, we've been working really, really hard making sure we pass gun laws, anti-gun laws that will prevent illegal guns from coming into our community," Bichotte said.
The latest NYPD data shows shootings are up citywide, 354 so far this year compared to 322 by this time last year.
Mayor Eric Adams addressed gun violence on Sunday, with a push to go after ghost guns around the country.
"And then we have to be preventive of many of these generational social problems have become the pipeline to violence. And the only thing that is beating that pipeline is the pipeline of guns that are coming in our inner cities," Adams said.
When it comes to an uptick in subway violence, the NYPD says there's been an increase in security measures since January, with more to come.
"Last week, we graduated more recruits from the Police Academy and we're surging more officers into the subway system. We recognize that people need to see a visible presence of police in the subway and we're endeavoring to make sure that that happens. There's also security measures we don't see," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
At Monday's vigil, along with prayers and calls for change, those in attendance left flowers near the entrance to the subway.
The suspect in last week's attack faces a federal terrorism charge.
A motive is still unclear.
