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NYPD Fired 73 Bullets In Brooklyn Shootout That Killed Innocent Bystander
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 7, 2011
Modified Sep 7, 2011
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Courtesy @aschierenbeck
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 7, 2011
Modified Sep 7, 2011
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During an intense shootout in Crown Heights Monday night that left two dead, police fired 73 bullets in their attempts to subdue gunman Leroy Webster, who shot and killed Eusi Johnson and injured two police officers. Authorities say that Webster also killed innocent bystander Denise Gay as she sat on her stoop with her daughter, but the Times reports that "a ballistics analysis had yet to conclude where the bullet came from." Gay's cousin tells the paper, "She was well known on this block. You could say her name and people know exactly who she is, what she stood for. She was an awesome person, with an awesome spirit." Gay, who told others she was afraid for her safety, died in her daughter's arms after being shot in the head.
In all, the NYPD says that there were 52 shootings with 67 victims and 13 deaths, between Friday and Monday, and the Daily News has posted a map of all their locations. Three of the shootings that affected five victims were tied to the West Indian Day Parade, and officials seized 14 illegal guns and arrested 16 people prior to the parade's commencement.
A spokeswoman for the parade, which drew more than two million people, said the violence "is not something we take lightly…If this is going to happen, it is going to happen to my child, my neighbor's child. The parade has to be safe."
Details of why Webster set out to shoot Johnson are scant, but witnesses claim that Johnson had "a friendly slap fight" outside Webster's apartment, which Webster misinterpreted as hostility. As Johnson, who was out on bond on federal weapons charges, attempted to make peace, Webster pulled out a gun and began firing. Webster remains in critical condition from his wounds, and charges against him are pending.
Tagged
crime
Crown Heights
labor day
nypd
Ray Kelly
shootings
west indian day parade
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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