THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A Bronx father of six remained hospitalized Friday after he was shot in the stomach outside his home. It happened during what his family says was a child custody exchange that escalated into gunfire.
Police said the shooting happened on Wednesday around 4:10 p.m. in front of 1459 Taylor Ave. in the Soundview section of the Bronx.
Officers responding to a 911 call found a 43-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Investigators said the victim had been arguing with a 29-year-old man when the suspect pulled out a gun and fired.
His wife told PIX11 News, he has undergone surgery twice and remains heavily sedated.
“He hasn’t been conscious. He’s been sedated the whole time,” she said. “He had his first surgery the day of.”
Authorities said the suspected gunman, who’s 29 years old, fled southbound on Taylor Avenue in a gray sedan.
The victim’s wife said the suspect had come to pick up his toddler during a custody exchange. She said the family fears the gunman could return.
“He’s not been caught,” she said. “With all these threats, I want him to get caught. I don’t feel safe right now.” The woman did not want to be identified over fear for her safety.
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The shooting was one of several incidents of gun violence reported in the Bronx this week, including two fatal shootings, prompting activists to rally Friday night against gun violence in the borough.
Community advocates say reducing violence will require a range of approaches.
“It takes all kinds of strategies to get peaceful neighborhoods,” said David Caba of Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence
The violence comes as the Bronx leads New York City in homicides so far this year. NYPD statistics show 18 killings in the borough to date, more than the combined total of 16, in the city’s other boroughs.
“I’m not surprised,” said a Bronx resident who works at a rehabilitation facility. “We have a lot of patients with knife and gunshot wounds, and the majority…they are kids.”
City officials say changes are coming this spring aimed at improving policing in the borough.
More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State
In the coming weeks, the NYPD plans to divide the Bronx into two commands, North and South, like in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. The department also plans to add about 200 officers, along with additional detectives, in an effort to improve response times and focus on crime at the neighborhood level.
For the victim’s family, those changes cannot come soon enough.
“I’m from the Bronx,” his wife said. “But it’s just getting worse. Nowhere is safe at this point.”
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