Community left reeling by string of shootings in the Bronx
NEW YORK - Residents in the Bronx are grappling with fear and grief after a recent surge in shootings that has left several innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.
Flowers now lie on the corner of Brook Avenue and East 138th Street, in honor of 71-year-old Enriqueta Rivera, who was shot and killed Thursday in broad daylight.
Police say Rivera was not the intended target of the shooting but was struck in the back by a bullet after a dispute took place between two men and gunfire erupted. Authorities say the incident was believed to be gang-related.
Efforts to revive Rivera were in vain, and she succumbed to her injuries.
8-year-old boy shot in the Bronx
The child was shot in the thigh and was rushed to Lincoln Hospital and is expected to survive.
Another woman, 34 years old, was also hit by a bullet but survived.
That same night, three others were shot in the Bronx along Jerome Avenue and East 174th Street. Two of them were also innocent bystanders.
"There is an ongoing turf war in parts of our borough, it is gang-related," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. "We have the best detectives, they are going to get to the bottom of this."
Earlier this week, an 8-year-old in the Bronx was struck by a stray bullet while getting off a school bus. FOX 5 NY is told he is recovering and in good spirits.