New York police were looking for a suspect in the shooting death of a 20-year-old woman, who was killed pushing her baby in a stroller on the city's Upper East Side.
The woman's 3-month-old baby was unharmed, the New York Post reported. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police were not speculating on a motive for the killing that occurred at about 8:25 p.m. Wednesday night.
The shooting comes as the New York Police Department touted that shootings were down 31% from last year, while murders were up 10% and crime overall climbed 28%.
Despite not disclosing a possible motive, New York Mayor Eric Adams blamed the shooting on a proliferation of guns.
"When a mother's pushing a baby carriage down the block … and is shot at point-blank range — this shows just how this national problem is impacting families and doesn't matter if you are on the Upper East Side or east New York, Brooklyn," Adams said at a press conference at the scene.
Police said a man wearing a black sweatshirt and sweatpants came up to the woman near the corner of East 95th Street and Lexington Avenue. He shot her in the head at close range and then ran away.
According to the New York Post, the murder occurred near Samuel Seabury Playground where a 10-year-old girl was playing. The little girl told the newspaper she mistook the gunfire for fireworks.
"But then I realized there was a gunshot. And it really frightened me because I was right there at the park playing, and I never would have thought this would have happened," said the girl.
Adams vowed the killer would be arrested.
"We're going to find this person that is guilty of this horrific crime," Adams said. "We're going to find him and bring him to justice.
"We cannot allow this epidemic to keep claiming lives."
In a tweet, he added: "More guns in our city means more lives lost. It means more babies crying as those who love them lie dead. We cannot allow this epidemic to keep claiming lives."
However, many diasgree with Adams' assessment. One Twitter user replied: "You know this won't solve the problem, but you don't care."
Another person tweeted:" He came up from behind her, so he could have just as easily used a knife. BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE WEAPON, IT'S THE CRIMINAL, FOOL!"
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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