Police say at least three people were fatally shot and others were injured over the holiday weekend across the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Authorities say 62-year-old John Edwards was killed in a triple shooting in the Bronx on Monday after celebrating the Fourth of July. Two other men were hospitalized because of the shooting but are expected to survive. The gunman is still at large.
On Tuesday, 19- and 23-year-old men were killed at a bodega in the East New York section Brooklyn. A third man is in critical condition. Police say they have one person in custody in connection to the shooting.
Also on Tuesday, one of Mayor Eric Adam’s own aides was robbed of his phone and wallet by a suspect with a gun.
The mayor's office said, “Today’s incident only further highlights the urgency to get dangerous guns and dangerous people off our streets as quickly as possible. New York City employees are city residents, and we will do everything in our power to keep all New Yorkers safe.”
Adams also said, “Regardless of all the good stuff we're doing, until we get crime under control, New Yorkers are going to feel we're not making progress, which we are.”
He added, “Is it moving as fast as I want? No, I want it faster. I'm like New York, I want results overnight."
The mayor said gun arrests are at a 30-year high. He credited the summer violence strategy that went into effect on May 1.
Adams said he and the NYPD are constantly looking and modifying the plan to see how they can combat gun violence further.