In another weekend of violence in NYC, four people were shot and killed just on Sunday — one of whom was a man police say was simply out playing handball in Brooklyn.
The wife of Christopher Ross told NBC New York that her husband was a regular at Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights, often coming to play handball and stay in shape.
But just after 5 p.m. Sunday, Ross' usual exercise turned deadly, as preliminary reports show he may have been the victim of a stray bullet that struck him in the head.
The park was busy, with dozens of children playing as Ross was with others on the handball court. Witnesses said people began shooting at each other from across the park, and the 53-year-old got caught in the crossfire.
"He was a good man, a loving father, a loving grandfather, a loving brother," said Veronica Peters, his wife. "He's just gone senselessly. He kissed me, he told me he loved me, said "I'll be back," and I never saw him. He never came back to me."
Candles and messages have been left at the scene and in front of Ross' house. While Peters said she's thankful for her neighbors' sympathies, for now she's just at a loss for words.
"They just took him away from me. I don't know, I'm numb," an emotional Peters said.
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Throughout the park, the NYPD was putting up posters with a picture of Ross, a description of what happened and a $2,500 reward for any information.
It marks the second killing at Lincoln Terrace Park over the course of the summer, with a 27-year-old man murdered there as well earlier on.
For now, Peters and her neighbors are pleading for help to stop the violence.
"The guns are killing us, they are killing every black person. They are killing us. I can't take it no more," Peters said.
No arrests have been made, and an investigation is ongoing.
