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Family Says Cuomo Aide Shot Before J'Ouvert Festival Is Brain Dead
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 16, 2015
Modified Sep 16, 2015
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David Torres
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 16, 2015
Modified Sep 16, 2015
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Carey Gabay, the lawyer in Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration who was critically wounded in a shooting in Brooklyn just prior to the J'Ouvert street festival, has been declared brain dead. "Today we are all incredibly saddened by the news from Carey Gabay’s family," Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. "I ask that all New Yorkers please join me in keeping both Carey and his family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
Gabay's family confirmed he was officially declared brain dead late Tuesday night. "There are difficult decisions we will face in the coming hours and days as our family struggles to process what this means for us," the family said in a statement. "We ask that our privacy be respected during this difficult time."
The 43-year-old Gabay was shot in the head on Bedford Avenue near Sullivan Place around 3:45 a.m. on September 7th, as he and his brother were walking in Crown Heights to go to the J'Ouvert Festival. He apparently ducked between two cars when the shots broke out, but he was struck in the head. He was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was placed in a medically-induced coma.
Authorities believe that Gabay got caught between warring gangs who were shooting at each other. It does not appear that Gabay was the intended target.
You can see a sketch of the suspect here, and a video of two possible suspects here. Police say they are using facial recognition software to try to catch the shooter.
Gabay was appointed as the first deputy general counsel at Empire State Development earlier this year and had formerly been an assistant counsel to the governor. He attended Harvard University, where he was president of the undergraduate student government, and Harvard Law. Cuomo called him an "outstanding public servant" and just "a beautiful guy."
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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