News: Multiple Shootings in Brentwood
(Long Island, N.Y.) A string of shootings that have occurred in the town of Brentwood has residents fearing for their safety. At least three violent incidents were reported in the last two months resulting in the deaths of two teens. The most recent occurred last Tuesday when an eighteen-year-old was murdered in his backyard.
The incident occurred at around fifteen minutes before midnight when police received an emergency call from a concerned resident. Shortly after they discovered the teen who sustained at least one gunshot wound at his home on Lukens Avenue. He was pronounced dead thirty minutes later, after being rushed to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore.
Neighbors have questioned whether the incident is a reflection of gang violence, believing that Brentwood’s gang activity has increased dramatically in recent years. Some claimed that the suburban street was both quiet and peaceful prior to the shooting and that people in the area seemed to get along. Police and Homicide Squad Detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Weeks prior to the incident an eighteen-year-old was shot on Grand Boulevard in Brentwood and found dead in his driveway. The Third Precinct Police Officers received a call about shots being fired and discovered the teen suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a member of the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.
Another victim of recent unexplained violence in Brentwood was discovered over a week ago. A man was found suffering from head trauma at roughly six in the morning on May 12th. A passing motorist allegedly spotted a body lying against the curb of Nimitz Avenue and Bradley Street.
The man, who was originally unidentified by police, appeared to have been hit in the head with an unknown object. Police and authorities on the case believe that the victim had been walking in the area, which was mostly residential with nearby churches. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the incident police were left questioning why the man was in the area, where he came from, and where he was going. They were also uncertain as to how long he had been there and were hesitant to release a description. Police later discovered that he was an immigrant from El Salvador and waited to get in contact with his family before announcing his identity.
On a late August night in 2009 two teenagers were shot at the same intersection where the man was discovered. The two eighteen-year-olds were inside a vehicle parked at a stop when a light-colored car with tinted windows pulled alongside. A minimum of two shots were fired, hitting both teens in the head.
The teens were taken to a hospital and initially listed as critically injured. The shooting, which occurred at roughly twenty minutes to eleven, caused the teen driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a fence. Third Squad Detectives arrived on the scene, and reports stated that the shooter’s vehicle could be a Nissan Maxima or Altima.
