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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Brooklyn neighborhood has more shooting victims than any other place in the city


Kids getting clipped by bullets on a basketball court. A precious 2-year-old girl wounded in a drive-by. A Father’s Day barbecue guest killed in a storm of 23 gunshots.

Welcome to Brownsville.

The neighborhood sits in the Brooklyn police precinct with more shooting victims this year than any other place in the city. There was a shooting during a basketball game at Fish Playground about 6:30 p.m. Monday — another crime that spread fear through the neighborhood.

“Now I am afraid of the park,” said Judea Mattry, 9, whose family lives in an apartment overlooking the playground. “People are killing people. Some people are crazy. Some people have beef.”

Four youths were wounded in the Monday evening shooting, bringing the number of people shot in Brownsville to 69 this year — up from 57 at this time in 2011. In addition to the gunplay, overall crime is up 5% in the 73rd Precinct this year — slightly above the citywide rate.

Local parents share Judea’s concerns about crime in the troubled neighborhood. Steve Singleton, 38, said his kids know the drill if they hear gunshots: Stop, drop and roll.

“It’s the environment we live in,” said Singleton. “I have to teach my kids how to stay safe.”

The playground shooter escaped on a bicycle after opening fire on a lazy summer’s night.

None of the quartet of teen victims was the intended target, police said Tuesday. The shooting occurred when two teens were arguing near the bleachers off the court, and one pulled a silver handgun, witnesses said.

Jamella Thomas, whose wounded 15-year-old still has a bullet lodged in his chest from the shooting, told the Daily News that she worries now about letting him leave the house.

“The one day he says, ‘Mom, can I go to the park, please?’ — this is what I get,” said the rattled Thomas, 32. “I’m walking in fear now.”

Surgeons said they can’t remove the bullet for several weeks, leaving it “just inches from his heart,” said Thomas.

The mother of a 16-year-old wounded alongside Thomas’ boy said she was horrified after hearing about the game interrupted by gunfire.

“I was frantic, hysterical,” said Cathyann Smith, 42, a housekeeper. “He’s the only son I have. We’ve got to get rid of the guns.”

A trio of kids speak openly about the dangers of walking down the street or playing in the park.

“The summertime is when everybody is shooting and stuff,” said Isiah Grey, 11, who was playing with two pals Tuesday at the Fish Playground. “They get crazy.”

The three children were playing house on a jungle gym, using garbage for toys, in the middle of the afternoon. Isiah said he wouldn’t come back after dinner.

“I wouldn’t be out in this park at 6:30,” he said.

With good reason. Last month, 2-year-old Ariyanna Prince was struck in the leg by a random bullet at 7 p.m. on Rockaway Ave. Five other bystanders were also wounded.

Before that, at a barbecue celebrating Father’s Day, 25-year-old Daniel Davis was shot 23 times at Cavanaugh-Kelly Park.

“Brownsville has become ground zero of the gun violence problem in New York City,” said local Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries.

“Brownsville is not only the center of gun activity in New York, it is also one of the poorest neighborhoods that can be found anywhere in this country.”

It remains a neighborhood where poverty is more prevalent than positivity.

Two of every five residents live below the poverty line, and more than half of the 86,000 people receive some form of government aid. The median household income is $25,802 a year.

Many residents avoid spending too much time on the dangerous streets. The neighborhood is home to several gangs, including the Hood Stars and 8 Block.

Ariyanna’s father, who was shot while covering his daughter’s body with his own, blames himself for what happened.

“That’s Brownsville for you,” said Michael Prince, 22. “Me and my family, we’ve just got to be more cautious.”

While his daughter might not remember what happened as she gets older, she’ll live with a reminder of her Brownsville childhood.

“She’s still the playful, happy baby she always was,” Prince said. “But now she walks with a limp.”


By Barry Paddock , Simone Weichselbaum AND Larry Mcshane / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

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