A 7-month-old baby was fatally shot in Brooklyn on Wednesday when a stray bullet struck their stroller during a gang-related drive-by shooting. The incident occurred around 1:20 p.m. near Humboldt and Moore Streets in East Williamsburg, where two men on a moped fired at a group of people gathered on a sidewalk. The child, an unintended victim, was rushed to Woodhull Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the shooting was gang-related and that the child was not the intended target. The moped crashed into a car two blocks away, ejecting both suspects. One man was hospitalized and taken into custody for an unrelated investigation, while the other remains at large.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed grief at the scene, stating, 'There are no words that can mend the heartbreak this family is feeling right now. A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant.' Investigators are reviewing neighborhood security footage to track the suspects' movements after the shooting.
The child's mother discovered the injury after seeking refuge in a nearby bodega, where she noticed the baby bleeding from the head. Witnesses described the father screaming for help as he carried the child to the hospital. The NYPD has released images of the suspects, describing one as wearing a light-colored sweatshirt with dreadlocks and the other in a dark-colored sweatshirt.
This tragedy comes amid a broader trend of declining crime in New York City, with homicides down 29% compared to the same period last year. The city is on track to finish 2026 with significantly fewer killings than in previous years, according to NYPD data.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward. The family has not been publicly identified, and no further details about the suspects' motives have been released.