Brooklyn community vowing to take back their streets from gun violence
EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A community in Brooklyn is mobilizing and vowing to take back their streets from crime in a neighborhood that has seen more than its share.
Two people were shot and wounded in East Flatbush on Thursday night - a 27-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl. There are no arrests yet, but it took just hours for the community to come together.
Residents and volunteers have been at this for a decade - often scoring wins against violent crime, only to see it rise back up.
On Thursday, a 27-year-old private security guard got off a bus around midnight to find a group of young men blocking his way.
"He notices a firearm - he flees. Shots were fired, he was struck, and the unintended 16-year-old was struck, too," said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.
The 16-year-old girl was minding her own business across the street. Both she and the 27-year-old are expected to survive.
Locals heard the news - and wanted to take action.
"So you meet them where they're at, ask them the resources they need, and then that way we can work to reduce the gun violence in a particular area," said Assemblywoman Monique Chandler-Waterman.
East Flatbush was making a lot of progress with violent crime - then came a series of killings last year. So, as residents hit the streets Friday night, activists are reminded of how quickly things can change.
Among the victims then was a 12-year-old honors student named Kade Lewin. His death hit the community especially hard.
There is a street named after Lewin now, and there is not a day he is not talked about.
"We have to have a response to what's going on. You can't do nothing when the violence is occurring, and everybody has a part to play. That includes the communities," said NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Friday's March comes with the acknowledgment that police cannot do it all or be everywhere at once.
Right now, they are looking for surveillance video of Thursday's shooting. So far, no arrests have been made.
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