A 7-month-old girl riding in a stroller was killed by stray gunfire in Brooklyn on Wednesday, city officials said, in a shooting that police believe was connected to gang activity. The infant was taken to Woodhull Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police described the scene as an afternoon street incident where several adults, two strollers and numerous children were present. The child’s parents sought refuge inside a nearby bodega as shots rang out. According to an NBC News affiliate, when the parents looked into the stroller after reaching cover they saw their daughter covered in blood.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that the suspected shooter was in custody. "At this time, this shooting is believed to be gang-motivated, with the victim being an unintended target," Tisch said, and added that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. It was not immediately clear which group or groups may have been involved.
Video recovered from the scene, the commissioner said, shows two males on a moped traveling against traffic when one of the men produced a gun and fired at least two rounds. The pair then fled the immediate area and the moped subsequently struck a car. Police took into custody one of the men who "fits the description of our shooter, based on both clothing and appearance," Tisch said. The second individual seen in the video remains at large and is being sought by investigators.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani commented on the loss at a press conference, saying, "A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant." The mayor added, "Today is a devastating reminder of how much more work there is to be done to combat gun violence across this city."
While the shooting highlights continuing concerns about urban gun violence, the New York City Police Department noted in January that 2025 recorded the fewest gun violence incidents in city data dating back to 1994. The department reported 688 shooting incidents in 2025, a 24% decline from 2024.
Authorities said the investigation is active as they work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack, the affiliations of those involved and to locate the remaining suspect seen in the video. In the meantime, law enforcement officials have secured at least one arrest tied to the case.
Context and next steps:
- Investigators continue to examine video evidence and witness accounts to establish motive and sequence of events.
- Police efforts include searching for a second suspect who fled the scene after the moped crash.
- Authorities have characterized the incident as likely gang-motivated but have not identified any specific groups.