An 8-year-old boy was injured in a shooting incident in Mott Haven, Bronx, on Tuesday, according to local law enforcement. The child’s mother, who requested anonymity, shared details of the incident with the media outside the hospital where her son was being treated. She recounted that her son was getting off his school bus on Beekman Avenue around 5 p.m. when shots were fired nearby. A bullet struck the boy’s thigh as his grandmother pushed him to the ground to shield him.
Bystanders reported seeing family members swiftly carry the boy into a vehicle and rush him to the emergency room. Meanwhile, responding officers pursued and apprehended two suspects. The police also reported recovering a firearm from the scene.
One of the suspects, a 27-year-old man named Joshua Brooks, has been charged with attempted murder, assault, assault on a minor under 11 years old, reckless endangerment, and illegal possession of a firearm. Charges have not yet been filed against the second suspect.
Mona Davids, a local school safety advocate, expressed her concern about the safety of children in the area. She called on the mayor to increase police presence on the streets to prevent such incidents. “The fact our kids are being shot returning home from school… this is something that terrifies parents,” she said.
The boy’s mother reassured the public that her son was out of danger, stating that the bullet had missed a vital artery. However, the incident has left the community shaken, with neighbors expressing fear for the future. “If we’re not losing them to the drugs we’re losing them to the bullets,” a distraught neighbor, Alejandria Rioso, said.