By Sabina Crisan
New York, New York - A seven-month-old baby has been killed by a stray bullet in the New York borough of Brooklyn.
According to police, she was hit in her stroller on the street on Wednesday afternoon and later pronounced dead in the hospital, per CBS News.
"A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant," said New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (34) at a press conference.
Investigators are assuming a connection with gang crime.
The victim was hit by chance, explained New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. A weapon has not yet been recovered, and the actual target is also unclear. Tisch spoke of a "horrific, senseless tragedy".
According to police, two men on a moped approached a street corner in the busy Williamsburg neighborhood, and the passenger fired at least two shots.
Several adults and children with two strollers were on the sidewalk. The seven-month-old was hit, but there were initially no other injuries.
Suspect in custody as Mayor Mamdani condemns gun violence
The moped collided with a car a few streets away, causing both men to fall, according to the police chief. One was injured and was taken to the hospital. He is now in police custody.
The police chief explained that it is still being investigated whether he is the shooter. A manhunt is underway for the second perpetrator. Law enforcement has seized the scooter and is analyzing video footage.
The case once again sparked a debate about gun violence in New York. "Too many children have never grown up into becoming adults," the mayor said. "We cannot accept this as normal in our city."