Three people were killed and another was injured in separate shootings in the Bronx and Queens last night—and that included one of NYC's top tax cops. Police found 42-year-old Tracey Young shot in the torso and head in her Briarwood home at around 11 p.m. According to the Post, she lived with her husband, former 32nd precinct cop Clarence Cash, who later turned himself in and remains in custody at the 107th precinct. “She was an incredible investigator—one of the top 10 in New York State. She made so many cases,” the assistant director of investigations for the department told the Post. more ›

Police have identified a suspect in the slaying of 26-year-old Bronx nightclub bouncer Terrance Drayton. Suspect Victor Mendez, 21, is wanted by the NYPD in connection with the shooting, which may have been a case of mistaken identity as Drayton was not involved with forcibly tossing four patrons out of Pit Lounge earlier in the evening. According to witnesses, that incident spurred the shooting hours later around 6 a.m. more ›

The 26-year-old bouncer and father of two who was shot and killed early yesterday morning inside the nightclub where he worked may have been mistaken by the gunman for a different man. A witness named Louie had told the Post that a fight broke out after four men were ejected from the Clason Point club, and he predicted "They're gonna come back with a gun." But another witness tells the tabloid the bouncer involved in the fight was standing outside when his colleague was killed by a bullet that flew through the front window. "He was just standing by the doorway and boom, it happened…it was meant for the other bouncer." more ›

According to recently released data [pdf], shootings that involved the NYPD were at an all-time-low in 2010, with officers firing their weapons 92 times total, killing 8 and wounding 16. It's the lowest amount of shootings since the department began keeping the numbers in 1971. "The improvement is due to police training, restraint, and our success in reducing crime over all," Commissioner Ray Kelly told NY1. To put the numbers in perspective, 40 years ago, shootings involving the NYPD killed 93 people and injured 221 others. more ›

A livery cab driver was shot and killed at around 7:40 a.m. this morning near Rockaway Park. Police responded to a 911 call that a man had been shot around 32nd Street and Lewmay Road, and found a 30-year-old man dead inside the driver's seat of a white Ford Crown Vic. Magnificent 7's, a livery cab company, tells NBC that the man was an employee. more ›

An off-duty NYPD detective shot two would-be robbers after they brandished a toy gun at him while he was walking his dog in Rockaway yesterday. While the officer was strolling near Beach 27th Street at around 6:30 p.m., four men approached him and threatened him with the fake gun. The detective identified himself, but the crew insisted on trying to rob him. "There was a struggle and he let go some rounds," a police source tells the Post. Three were later caught, and the fourth walked into the hospital with gunshot wounds. more ›

Brower Park in Crown Heights is ground zero for what the Daily News is calling a "turf battle" between residents and roving bands of teenagers who "skip school, smoke pot, and drink alcohol during the day." 13 people have been shot in the area this month, including Denise Gay, who was killed. While an NYPD spokesperson claims they "will do whatever it takes until they stop shooting," they acknowledge that "these kids are trying to take over the park. It's a problem." more ›

Speaking at the funeral of Denise Gay, the 56-year-old Crown Heights woman who was killed by a stray bullet on her stoop, Reverend Al Sharpton issued a stern plea for the seemingly senseless violence to stop. "Somehow you must reach inside you and stand up for what's right." Gay may have been killed by one of the 73 bullets fired by NYPD officers in their attempt to subdue shooter Leroy Webster, who had killed Eusi Johnson around 9 p.m. on Labor Day. Ballistics results remain pending. According to the Daily News, Sharpton said, "Whatever the results of that investigation, there's no doubt you must stop shooting." more ›

A two-year-old Staten Island baby girl who was shot in the face earlier today is miraculously in stable condition at Richmond University Medical Center. According to the NYPD, the girl was shot around 1:35 p.m. in the courtyard of an apartment complex at 55 Holland Avenue in the Mariners Harbor located in the 120th Precinct. "The baby had blood all over her face," a witness told SI Live, "They didn't even wait for an ambulance. They took her in a car." more ›

The Reverend Al Sharpton has vowed to find out who killed 56-year-old Denise Gay, an innocent bystander who was shot and killed in a fierce Crown Heights shootout on Labor Day. "We don't know where the bullet was from," Sharpton said as he stood with the Gay family on Friday, "We know where it wasn't from—the guy at the shootout. We will not give up until we find out what happened to Denise." more ›

During an intense shootout in Crown Heights Monday night that left two dead, police fired 73 bullets in their attempts to subdue gunman Leroy Webster, who shot and killed Eusi Johnson and injured two police officers. Authorities say that Webster also killed innocent bystander Denise Gay as she sat on her stoop with her daughter, but the Times reports that "a ballistics analysis had yet to conclude where the bullet came from." Gay's cousin tells the paper, "She was well known on this block. You could say her name and people know exactly who she is, what she stood for. She was an awesome person, with an awesome spirit." Gay, who told others she was afraid for her safety, died in her daughter's arms after being shot in the head. more ›

Eight people—including three children—were shot after a teenaged gunman opened fire at a house party in the Bronx last night. The Daily News reports that one 24-year-old victim remains in critical condition after a bullet hit his chest, but the other shooting victims, including an 11-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl are expected to survive. Police are looking for 17-year-old Onell Dasilva of Mount Vernon, as they believe he is responsible for the shootings, which occurred at 3:39 a.m. on East 221st street at Carpenter Avenue in Williamsbridge. more ›

As he confronts a higher-than-2010-so-far murder rate, Newark Mayor Cory Booker spoke today two shootings last night that killed one 15-year-old and left 11 others wounded. And apparently, the violence was related to a "weeks-long drug dispute." more ›

Two men were killed, including one young dad, and ten other people were injured in a spate of shootings throughout the city last night and early this morning. Queens father Anthony McRae, 22, was fatally shot around 4:45 a.m. this morning in front of the Hamzah Deli and Grocery on Rockaway Avenue in Brownsville. "He loved to work but we always said go back to school. Then he had a son. He always wanted to do best by him...Isn’t that something? He had to lose his father on Father’s Day," his Aunt, Vivian Presley, told the Post. more ›

The Clinton Hill housing projects have seen more than their fair share of violence in their neighborhood, and this year seems to be no different, with four murders committed just in the last few months, not to mention how lovely "Prostitute Park" is this time of year. As the mercury rises, so does the crime rate, and Clinton Hill complex residents are particularly wary this year, the Daily News reports. "As it gets hot, The Devil comes out," says one city worker who has lived in the neighborhood for 18 years. "It's dangerous out there. The elderly can't sit outside and you've got to go out in the morning and be back by 3 and stay in your house." more ›

The Post reports that two Brooklyn shootings have left five injured: "The bullets began flying just after 10 p.m. at an outdoor basketball court near Bishop Loughlin High School on Clermont and Greene avenues in Fort Greene. Four teens were shot, including a 19-year-old, who was hit in the hip and calf and two 17-year-old boys and an 18 year-old girl who suffered foot and ankle injuries." The teens are expected to survive. The other shooting was in Greenpoint—a man was found on Monitor Street near Nassau; he's in critical condition. more ›

Due to a multimillion budget gap, Newark laid off 167 police officers (13% of its force) earlier this month. Since then, crime has increased there have been numerous carjackings—victims include a staffer in the NJ Attorney General's office and a Newark school principal—and shootings (since Thursday, four people have been shot dead and six have been wounded). Now, Newark Mayor Cory Booker says that police will be at "full force" this weekend, claiming "dozens" more cops will be patrolling. more ›

The NYPD released the 2009 "New York City Police Department Annual Firearms Discharge Report," and what it contains may thoroughly surprise you: despite all the lawsuits, police-involved shootings hit a record low last year. City police were involved in 105 shooting incidents during which 130 officers fired a total of 296 bullets, about 19% fewer than the previous year. Strangely, only 68 of those officers intentionally fired their weapons, which would leave one to the conclusion that 62 officers didn't shoot on purpose? more ›

While the two men were fatally shot in a SUV parked on East 19th Street earlier this week apparently witnessed other murders, there's a new theory for why they were gunned down: One of the victims may have disrespected the mother of his child, resulting in a gang hit. more ›

At least 13 people were shot and two were killed in one bloody night in the Bronx. The shootings, which all occurred on Friday night and early Saturday morning, sent the boroughs crime rate soaring, and left local officials enraged. "Those responsible for these shootings must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Those who would turn to a gun as the answer to their problems have no place in decent society. This has to stop,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. in a press release. more ›

July weekends are turning out to be deadly periods for the city, as four people were murdered in the course of a few predawn hours on Sunday. Just after midnight, Nazario Bleu was shot in the torso near the Pelham Parkway Houses in the Bronx. A second man was shot as well, though he managed to reach a nearby building to call 911, and remains in stable condition. Bleu was declared dead at the scene. Unfortunately, this was just the first of the night's shootings. more ›

After a spike in violent crimes, the NYPD is increasing its overnight street patrols. According to the AP, most of the increase will be in Brooklyn and the Bronx: "Police said that over the past 28 days, about 90 percent of shootings occurred on the street. That’s up from about 65 percent. They say the number of officers on the street could double or triple between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in 23 police precincts." more ›

Despite the overall crime rate being down 1% over the first half of the year, the latest crime statistics released by the NYPD reveal that the stats of six out of the seven major felonies has increased in 2010. more ›

The Bronx DA's office announced that 38 reputed Bloods gang members and associates were indicted for an array of charges including attempted murder and narcotics trafficking. And five of the defendants were involved in the stray bullet shooting of a 15-year-old girl who struck in the head while walking home from school. more ›

According to the Daily News, four people were killed and two were injured in shootings around the city yesterday. In one incident in Queens, "A gunman leaned out the window of a speeding black sedan at 2:30 a.m. and unleashed more than a dozen shots, hitting three people stepping out of a house party, police said. 'The shots were really loud,' said a resident of 167th St. in Jamaica. 'It woke me up - continuous shots, probably about 20.'" A 19-year-old was killed while two were injured.
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The multiple brawls, shootings and more that spread in Midtown on Easter night into Monday morning were dubbed "wilding" by Mayor Bloomberg, "The mayhem in Midtown appears to be a bunch of gang members wilding. There’s a bunch of people that think it’s cute to go out and to run around and to cause chaos, and we loaded the area up with police, but they can’t be everywhere." Know what else some of these people may think is cute? To give the bird to a Daily News photographer after being arrested! more ›

Dozens of people have been arrested after melees in Times Square and near Penn Station that left at least four people shot by guns or a BB gun. According to WABC 7, "The violence broke out after a yearly Easter Night ritual of a roving band of rowdy youths walking to Times Square after attending the auto show at the Javits Center." And a security guard in Times Square told the Post, "This kind of nonsense [on Easter night] has been going on for the five years I've been here." more ›

Yesterday, after the Daily News reported that NYC crime rates for murders and shootings have increased 22.8% and 16.3%, respectively, in the last year, Mayor Bloomberg took up the topic during John Gambling's radio show. And guess what—he says that it's totally due to the decreasing number of cops due to budget cuts! Bloomberg said, "It is worrisome." more ›

Remember how there are worries that budget cuts could pressure the NYPD to trim its force and crime would rise? Well, couple that with this: The Daily News reports, "The citywide murder rate has increased 22.8% in the first 11 weeks of the year over the same period in 2009, from 79 homicides to 97 as of Sunday, the most recent day for which statistics are available. Shootings in general are also up citywide, with 293 people hit by bullets this year, a 16.3% change from the total of 252 recorded by March 21 last year." more ›

According to the Army, seven people were killed and 20 were wounded in two shooting at an army base in Fort Hood, TX. The AP reports, "An Army spokesman at the Pentagon says the shootings began about 1:30 p.m. Thursday at a personnel and medical processing center at Fort Hood. The spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Banks, says two shooters were apparently involved. There is no word yet on who they were, nor on identities of the dead. He says it is too soon to tell whether there is any link to battle stress or repeated deployments." more ›