Gun Violence in the Bronx Claims Three Lives

The surge of gun violence in the Bronx continued on Wednesday, with three men shot dead inside an apartment building.

A 37-year-old man suffered a chest wound, while a 62-year-old was hit in the arm. A 59-year-old man reportedly sustained a serious injury during a domestic dispute at the College Avenue location in Mount Eden at around 8:30 a.m., according to authorities and sources.

Emergency Medical Services took the victims, ages 37 and 62, to a nearby hospital. The police noted that the younger man was in a critical state.

Sources indicated that the older man, who was likely not the intended target, was stabilized in the hospital. The 59-year-old, described as homeless, arrived at the hospital on his own and was also stable, according to officials.

Authorities apprehended the suspect, a 44-year-old man, who had barricaded himself inside the same apartment. Reportedly, he claimed he shot two individuals.

The gunman is now in police custody facing pending charges, as confirmed by law enforcement.

This incident marked another day of violence, happening just after four people were killed the day prior, including two men struck by stray bullets and an Amazon driver who lost his life in a related shooting.

At a press conference in Queens, Mayor Eric Adams addressed the wave of violence, declaring that the city has devised a “full mobilization plan.” He stated, “In the Bronx, all we’ve seen is gangsters and young shooters with repeated offenses. One of these cases involved an innocent bystander, which is astonishing. Youth involvement in gangs is alarming. We are determined to tackle this issue.”

Meanwhile, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa expressed his concerns at another press event, saying, “The Bronx is bleeding, and it seems to be slipping back into darker days,” even in light of an overall reduction in crime this year.

Sliwa remarked, “This isn’t just a perception of crime that the mayor likes to mention. Statistics don’t reveal the whole story. Crime isn’t down.” He emphasized that additional police presence is necessary, particularly in the Bronx, where retaliatory violence persists.

The violence started on Tuesday morning around 8:10 a.m. with the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Clay Monsanto behind an apartment on Anthony Avenue. Later in the day, at approximately 1:10 p.m., 34-year-old Kelvin Moskia was shot outside a public housing complex on Claus Avenue. He did not survive.

A tragic incident involving a 31-year-old Amazon driver occurred around 2:35 p.m. He was mistakenly shot while inside his vehicle on East Tremont and Bryant Avenue, and later died from his injuries. Reports indicate that two shooters also exchanged fire during this altercation.

Sources mentioned that the shooter fled the scene, leaving behind four shell casings.

Another shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m., where a 26-year-old man was shot multiple times on Adams Place. He was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he remained stable.

Additionally, a significant incident involved a 17-year-old girl who, during a chaotic shooting episode, shot and killed a 32-year-old man and injured three others, contributing to the ongoing gun violence in the Bronx.

Despite these troubling events, NYPD statistics indicate a decline in both murders and shootings in the Bronx this year.

As of Sunday, reports show 67 murders, which represents a decrease of about 15% from 79 during the same period last year. Furthermore, there were 178 shootings this year, compared to 220 incidents last year, resulting in a reduction in casualties as well.