Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Machine Guns Back on the Streets?
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 15, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 15, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Why was a 33 year old man running around the streets of Jamaica, Queens, firing a machine gun on Monday? To settle a beef with his sister's ex, of course. Patrick Ledger was unable to find his sister's ex, though, so he started firing the weapon around 179th Street and Hillside Avenue. After many 911 calls, the police found Ledger and shot him in the eye when he refused to put down the gun. The NYPD says that they haven't seen that kind of semi-automatic gun for a decade (Commissioner Ray Kelly said "street sweeper" type weapons were more common in the mid 1990s). WCBS 2 pointed out that these kinds of guns have been recently reclassified by the government as "simple handguns."
Ledger was charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. He is in serious condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital.
Tagged
commissioner ray kelly
crime
government
gun
guns
Hillside Avenue
hospital
Mary Immaculate Hospital
murder
nypd
police
queens
Ray Kelly
running
The NYPD
The Police
video
wcbs
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
D’Angelo Caraballo and Sneider Mejia are wanted on several charges, including attempted murder.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 11:05 a.m. ET
NYC’s autumn foliage will be a fall feast this year
A rainy fall will intensify autumn foliage colors, making them last longer, too.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
NYC’s autumn foliage will be a fall feast this year
A rainy fall will intensify autumn foliage colors, making them last longer, too.
By
Rosemary Misdary
NY officials worry migrants will skip healthcare amid fed policy change
By
Caroline Lewis
Early Addition: Spy magazine is doing a Substack pop-up
By
James Ramsay
Bronx woman found dead and infant in critical condition after balcony push, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .