Yesterday, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, a baby in Brooklyn was struck with a stray bullet and killed in what police are calling a “gang-motivated” shooting. The incident took place in Brooklyn, near East Williamsburg, where two men on a moped apparently opened fire on a group of people on the sidewalk.
According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, footage from nearby security cameras shows the men driving into the intersection of Moore Street. The man on the back of the moped pulled a gun and fired multiple shots towards those on the sidewalk. Footage also shows the men driving out of 24 Humboldt St. at the Bushwick Houses minutes before the shooting. Following the shots, the men sped away, but ended up crashing into a car less than 2 blocks from the initial scene. This crash threw both men from the moped.
Police received a 911 call related to the crash and were able to apprehend one of the suspects before he was taken to the hospital, as his clothing matched the description of one of those involved in the nearby shooting. The other suspect had already fled the scene on the moped when the police arrived. However, the suspected vehicle was found abandoned “five blocks west of the scene”. It was recovered by the police and is currently being processed.
During the event, the baby’s mother quickly ducked into a nearby store when she heard the shots. Only when she was inside did she realise that her baby was bleeding. The baby, later identified as 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore, was rushed to Woodhull Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Police do not believe that the baby and her mother were the intended targets of the attack.
In a statement about the event, Mayor Mamdani said, “There are no words that can mend the heartbreak this family is feeling now, no declaration strong enough to lift the grief they are now forced to carry, no embrace wide enough to heal the hole that has been left in their lives. That sorrow is only deepened by the fact that is not the first family in our city to know this pain. Too many children have never grown up into becoming adults. Too many parents have had to bury those that they love the most”.
He continued, “We cannot accept this as normal in our city. We cannot grow numb to this pain. And today is a devastating reminder of just how much more work there is to be done to combat gun violence across the city…A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant. As we grieve this loss, I am grateful for the NYPD’s continued work to find all those responsible for this murder and to bring them to justice”.
The NYPD is currently conducting a widespread manhunt to identify and locate the second suspect and any others who may be involved.
