Three bus riders were injured by a stray bullet Saturday afternoon in the Bronx, police said.
According to the NYPD, the shooting took place around 3:20 p.m. by Westchester Avenue and Tinton Avenue in Melrose.
A 59-year-old woman was grazed in the chest by the bullet while riding the Bx4 bus, police said.
What You Need To Know
- Police say a woman was grazed to her chest by a bullet while riding a Bx4 bus in Melrose
- The shooting took place around 3:20 p.m. Saturday near Westchester Avenue and Tinton Street
- Police say the bullet came from outside the bus in connection with a dispute taking place about a block away
- The three bus riders are in stable condition, the NYPD said
Jenny Lopez and her husband, Savior Kirby, who live nearby, expressed sadness and fear.
“That’s crazy,” said Lopez.
“It ain’t safe,” said Kirby. “I ain’t gonna lie. I stay in the house just because you never know. It’s a give, give just being outside. Right now, you in danger!”
Authorities say a preliminary investigation revealed that the shot came from the street, and that it was fired in connection with a dispute that was taking place with people who were not on the bus.
Kirby says he would like to see more police patrolling his neighborhood.
“We need protection,” said Kirby. “We need NYPD. They need to do what they need to do, walk these streets, show the neighborhood, show protection.”
According to the most recent numbers available for the 40th Precinct, where Saturday’s shooting took place, the NYPD says shooting incidents from Jan. 1 through June 25 were down 44% over the same time frame from the year before — dropping from 25 shootings last year to 14 through June 25.
In a statement, the MTA says, “This is another reminder that gun violence has no place in this or any city, that it can victimize innocent bystanders, and we are grateful no bus passengers appear to have been seriously hurt.”
Kirby and Lopez say while they are glad the bus riders did not suffer life-threatening injuries, they remain scared, especially for the safety of their 14-year-old daughter.
“I try to keep her away from here and keep her with protection, and her protection is me,” said Kirby. “I walk with her to all her destinations, everywhere she gotta go.”
Police say the person who fired the shot was about a block away from the bus and aiming for a vehicle that was on Union Avenue.
The three women were taken to Lincoln Hospital, and are in stable condition, officials say.
According to the NYPD, the suspect they are looking for is a man wearing a green shirt, who fled in a red car.