The national anti-violence event, "National Night Out Against Crime," took place on August 7, 2012, prompting the Mayor of New York, law enforcement officers, several district attorneys, and various other city residents to take to the streets in an effort to support the anti-violence campaign. Amidst the celebratory event, however, eight people were shot and injured on the streets of New York between the hours of 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Just a day before the event, Richard Brown, the Queens County District Attorney, explained that the event would provide the city's residents with the opportunity to meet the law enforcement officers "who are largely responsible for the sharp reduction in violent crime over the years."
Unfortunately, the event took an unprecedented turn for the worst. The first set of shootings took place at the Agnes Haywood Playground in the Bronx, where three teenagers were shot at and injured around 11 p.m. Two of the victims being boys and one of them being a young girl, the three were struck by bullets in the torso and legs. Just a few short hours later, an additional three victims were hit in Harlem around 2 a.m. Two women were shot in the buttocks, while a man was struck in the arm. The other two shootings targeted a man in Harlem and a man in Brooklyn, both of them being shot in the hip. All of the victims were admitted into hospitals around the city, but none of the injuries have proven to be fatal.
Although the crime rate in New York was on a seemingly downward slope, city officials are now on high-alert for any more potential attacks. For this reason, if you have recently been accused of a similar gun crime in New York City, the penalties that you may now be facing are likely severe. In order to avoid the serious ramifications of a conviction, it is important to speak to an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately. By enlisting the help of a legal professional early on, you may stand a better chance of having the serious charges against you lessened, or even dropped. Contact our firm today for more information.