Gunman, 25, ‘shoots dead baseball bat-wielding 31-year-old and injures two bystanders in a hail of bullets’ in Bronx smoke shop as New York City crime wave continues
- Edison Cruz, 25, allegedly blasted a 31-year-old man during an overnight shooting on East Burnside Avenue and Grand Concourse in Mount Hope
- Disturbing surveillance video of the altercation shows the victim seemingly wielding a baseball bat at Cruz before running inside a bodega
- Police responded to reports of gunfire at the store around 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday
- Disturbing surveillance video of the altercation shows the victim seemingly wielding a baseball bat at Cruz before running inside a bodega
- Cruz proceeded to open fire from the sidewalk, according to law enforcement
A gunman shot dead a bat-wielding man and injured two bystanders in a brutal shooting at a Bronx deli on Tuesday.
Edison Cruz, 25, allegedly blasted the 31-year-old man during the overnight attack on East Burnside Avenue and Grand Concourse in Mount Hope.
Police and medics raced to the scene to reports of gunfire at the store around 12:50 a.m. but the supposed target could not be saved.
Cruz was arrested and charged with one count of murder in the second degree, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.
It comes as New York City continues to experience a horrific surge in gun crime despite lawmakers pledging to crack down on it.
The latest wave has seen a 40 percent leap in just the past month, compared to the same period in 2021.
Meanwhile Eric Adams was mocked for flaunting a tuxedo which had ‘End gun violence’ written on it at the Met Gala on Monday.
The mayor was slammed for chuckling with cameramen and fellow guests about the design at the $35,000-a-head event.
Edison Cruz (pictured today), 25, allegedly blasted the 31-year-old man during the overnight attack on East Burnside Avenue and Grand Concourse in Mount Hope
Disturbing surveillance video of the altercation shows the victim seemingly wielding a baseball bat at Cruz before running inside a bodega when he realized Cruz pulled out a gun
The 31-year-old victim was declared dead at the scene while the two bystanders were taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where they remain in stable condition, police said
New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday night
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and partner Tracey Collins arrive for the 2022 Met Gala
Shocking video of the latest Bronx shooting shows the victim wielding a bat at a man said to be Cruz – before running inside a bodega when a gun is pulled out.
Cruz allegedly then opened fire from the sidewalk, hitting the victim in the head and the torso while a man and a woman, both 34, were struck in the arm and chest.
The fatality was declared dead at the scene while the two bystanders were rushed to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.
Terrified locals told how they would steer clear of the store after the latest deadly shooting to rock the Bronx.
‘It’s going to be a moment before I go back into that store. I can’t do it,’ Mount Hope resident Armoni Phillips told CBS after learning about the shooting.
Police said on Tuesday they believe Cruz targeted the fatal victim while the two collateral victims appeared to be innocent bystanders.
A woman named Jolanda Richards, who claimed to be a close friend of the injured female victim, said the woman has a daughter.
‘That’s my best friend. I want to make sure she’s okay. That’s all that matters to me,’ Richards told CBS News.
‘I had got a call that she had got shot. I just jumped in my clothes and ran outside. I had to make sure my friend was okay, but by the time I got here she was already in the ambulance and she was gone. They say she’s in critical condition.’
Police have said that both the woman and the man are in stable condition as of Tuesday evening.
Neighbor Armoni Phillips said she was shocked after learning about the incident.
‘What brought me out here was I just coming to get me a beer. Then we bent the corner because I live right here. When I bent the corner and we just seen everything was just taped off. Normally, I would be in that store,’ Phillips said.
Crime investigators at the scene of the shooting Tuesday
Police responded to reports of gunfire at the store around 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday
Cruz proceeded to open fire from the sidewalk, according to law enforcement. The fatal victim was shot in the head and the torso while another man and a woman, both 34, were struck in the arm and chest, respectively
Cruz is pictured being led out of the precinct by police officers on Tuesday afternoon
‘But thank God I didn’t go today, because I probably would have been one of those people.’
New York City has seen a more than 40 percent rise in major crimes in the past month, compared to the same period in 2021.
In January 2022, Mayor Adams unveiled a comprehensive plan to combat the surge in crime. That included increased foot patrols as well as the revival of a plain clothes unit named Neighborhood Safety Teams.
On Saturday, he met with 77 NYPD precinct commanders and other top officials to discuss ways to combat the surge of violence across the city.
The mayor reportedly emphasized the need for authorities to become more actively involved with the community, alleging commanders should know schools principals, homeless shelter officials and other leaders in the neighborhoods they serve.
‘I need everybody to buy in,’ Adams told the officers at Saturday’s summit, The New York Post reported.
He also requested the input of all attending commanders in what many are regarding as a ‘very productive’ conversation.
‘The mayor and command staff of the NYPD had a productive meeting today with precinct commanding officers,’ Chris Monahan, president of the Captains Endowment Association, said after the meeting.
‘But, not discussing the real issue of the crime increase, is counterproductive. We must discuss the over-zealous [Civilian Complaint Review Board] and their lack of experience, prosecutors who refuse to charge or prosecute crimes and the state legislature which is okay with keeping violent criminals on the streets.’
‘We’re here for them, the community – and the community is here as you can see,’ 7th Precinct Commanding Officer Luis Barcia told WABC. ‘They’re also doing their part and working with us to stop the violence.’
‘This is how serious this is to everyone, including the mayor,’ echoed NYPD Deputy Inspector Ralph Clement.
Meanwhile former police chief turned mayor Adams rocked up at the Met Gala last night wearing a bedazzled ‘End gun violence’ tuxedo.
New York’s Mayor is coming up to his fourth month in office and gave the thumbs up
The symbolism quickly drew mockery online with viewers responding with sarcasm that the problem of gun crime was suddenly fixed.
Adams, 61, and his partner Tracey Collins arrived together as photographers snapped the couple as they walked up the famous carpeted steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Adam’s tux also had the symbol for the N train prominently displayed in what was a clear reference to last month’s mass shooting on a crowded subway train in Brooklyn in which 23 people were hurt.
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