Two Shot Dead In Harlem Amid Violent Weekend, Police Say

HARLEM, NY — Two men were killed in separate shootings this weekend in Harlem as a rise in gun violence continues to effect New York City, police and city officials said.

The two men killed in Harlem this weekend were shot within a mile of each other within a span of 17 hours, according to an NYPD spokesman. Both men were pronounced dead at Mt. Sinai St. Luke's Hospital, police said.

The first shooting occurred around 10 a.m. on Saturday at the intersection of West 111th Street and Lenox Avenue, police said. Officers responding to the scene found the unconscious and unresponsive victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso, police said. The second shooting occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday morning in front of a West 116th Street and Morningside Avenue building. The 23-year-old victim was rushed to St. Luke's hospital by private means after being shot in the back, police said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the surge of violence across the city during a Monday morning press briefing. De Blasio plans to meet with community leaders in Harlem and across Upper Manhattan this week to discuss safety concerns, the mayor said.

"The people of Harlem have been through a lot, not just through the last four months but through years and decades and every single time they have fought back," de Blasio said Monday.

Crime statistics kept by the NYPD show that shootings have increased by more than 40 percent in New York this year. The NYPD recorded 511 shootings with 616 victims as of June 28, compared to 355 shootings with 406 victims at the same point in 2019.