An innocent bystander, who relocated to the United States from West Africa just two years ago, was a fatal casualty in a mass gang-related shooting that occurred in Brooklyn.
Per ABC7 New York, the shootings occurred at the Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights during the wee hours of Sunday. It was reported that at least 14 people were struck by the gunfire.
The innocent bystander fatally shot was identified as 27-year-old Amadou Diallo. Two of the suspected gunmen, identified as 19-year-old Marvin St. Louis and Jamel Childs, 35, were also killed during the exchange of gunfire.
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Authorities said that prior to the shooting, St. Louis and Childs were inside the lounge, and they initially had a short exchange of words. St. Louis, after ten minutes, is said to have moved towards Childs and started shooting. Authorities said Childs and two other gunmen returned fire, adding that at least 42 shots were discharged.
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On Monday, a vigil was held for Diallo, with Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch attending the event. The pair also pledged their commitment to tackling the violence.
“We don’t manufacture guns in New York City,” Mayor Adams said. “So, why are they finding our way on the streets? We need help from the federal authorities to finally put an end to this senseless violence.”
A family member who spoke with ABC7 New York said that Diallo was a native of West Africa, and he arrived in the United States two years ago to earn a living.
“So, he was doing the delivery, DoorDash and Uber, gaining in his life with honesty, without stealing nothing. No problem. Never had any problem here,” Diallo’s relative, Mamdou Sansoussy, was translated as saying.
The two other gunmen involved in the shooting are yet to be apprehended.
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