12-year-old girl shot, woman stabbed after massive Queens brawl
QUEENS - A 12-year-old girl was shot, and another woman stabbed, after two people opened fire during a massive NYC brawl in Queens, the NYPD said.
The brawl involving 10 kids happened just before 8 p.m. outside the South Jamaica Houses.
According to investigators, two suspects approached and either one or both of them fired into the group. A neighbor says she heard five gunshots, and then saw the group of teens running for help.
The girl was shot in the arm, police said. A 26-year-old woman was also stabbed in the chest and an 18-year-old woman suffered cuts to her head.
All three were taken to a hospital. It’s not clear what the relationship is between the two suspects and those involved in the fight.
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Police are still looking for the two suspects. They were last seen wearing gray and black, as well as black ski masks.
Recent NYC teen violence
The shooting comes as several teens across the city have become victims of violence in the last week.
Just a few days ago, an 18-year-old was stabbed outside Queens High School of Teaching, Liberal Arts and the Sciences in Glen Oaks, suffering injuries to his back and arm. The same day, a 15 and 17-year-old were also injured after a fight broke out at a school in Hell's Kitchen.
As the summer approaches, some advocates in the city say they are concerned about the possibility of violence harming the city's youth increasing even further.
"With the summer months, you have an increase in violence as more people, not just youth, but all people are out. They're out longer, they're out later, and they often have the opportunity to interact with each other in a negative way," said Keith Taylor, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.