What to Know
- A 5-year-old boy is in grave condition after a stray bullet struck him in the head as he was walking with his dad to a waiting car, cops say
- The bullet was fired by a gunman who shot at another man four times, police say
- It was the boy's fifth birthday, law enforcement sources say
A 5-year-old boy was shot in the head in the Bronx Monday evening and rushed to the hospital in critical condition, police said.
The boy had been visiting with his father on Washington Avenue in Morrisania and was being walked back to a waiting car at about 5 p.m. when a stray bullet struck his head, police officials said.
It was the boy's fifth birthday, law enforcement sources say.
The gunman, who is in his 20s, had fired four gunshots at another man, officials said. Surveillance video shows people duck for cover and one person racing away from the scene.
The boy was first taken to St. Barnabas but then redirected to NY Presbyterian instead. He's said to be in grave condition.
Mayor de Blasio called the shooting "absolutely heartbreaking" and said doctors were working to save the boy's life.
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It's not clear what led to the dispute between the men.
A "person of interest" was in custody being questioned, police said. He was released without being charged at around 5:30 Tuesday morning, according to police.
Neighbors, who are fed up with the violence on their own streets, are shaken to hear about the boy.
"My three-year-old could have been sitting out here with her child care provider," Helen Davis said. It could have been her."
Detectives are canvassing the area for video and witnesses.
