Fatal Shooting At 'Illegal Party' On Long Island Probed: Police

VALLEY STREAM, NY — A gunman sprayed a crowd fatally wounding a 20-year-old Brooklyn man and injuring four teens at an illegal party inside of a rental hall in Valley Stream on Monday night, police said.

Shots rang out at the Ocean Avenue catering hall in the Hook Creek area of Valley Stream, near the border of Queens at around 8:30 p.m. during an “unauthorized party” that was advertised on social media, inviting “a crowd of people” where they were serving alcohol and possibly also liquid marijuana, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said Tuesday.

A male assailant came up on the westbound of 131st Avenue from the Queens border, and fired eight times into the crowd of about 50 to 60 people, including juveniles, with the bullets striking multiple people, Det. Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said.

One of the people struck was a 20-year-old Brooklyn man who was hit in the chest and then taken to a local area hospital where he was pronounced dead, he said.

A 12-year-old boy, who was just inside the doorway, was struck in the left upper shoulder area with the round going through him, and he was admitted to a local hospital where he is in stable condition, according to Fitzpatrick.

The boy told investigators he was attending the party with an adult and claims that he was not drinking alcohol, but that's not been confirmed, Fitzpatrick said.

“He's been at these parties several times and stated that there have been no prior incidents at this particular venue,” he said. “But this time the violence erupted.”

Two other 17-year-old boys from Elmont were struck, one in the rear of his leg, and the other in his knee, he said, adding that both were treated and released, he said.

A 17-year-old girl from Brooklyn had a laceration to her hand, according to Fitzpatrick.

“It’s unknown whether the round hit her or she was caught in the turmoil that occurred after the shots were fired,” he said. “It could have been glass or something sharp that cut her hand.”

The assailant, who was wearing dark clothing, fled westbound on 131st Avenue into Queens, Fitzpatrick said.

It’s unknown why the party was targeted, he said.

“There are prior incidents we're looking at to see if they're related, other parties that might have had violence,” he said. “You got to keep in mind these events are promoted by other individuals and unknown who they promote these types of events to.”

What makes the party illegal is that admission was being charged and alcohol was being served without a license, Fitzpatrick said.

The department is looking into “the feasibility” of charges related to the illegal party and is working with the District Attorney’s office, he said.

Investigators are researching whether the facility has held similar parties in the past, according to Fitzpatrick.

The incident should act as a message for parents, Ryder said.

“You got to be aware of what your kids are into; you got to also know where they're going,” he said. “This is a typical situation where a kid sees an advertisement. It looks like it's gonna be a fun time with friends. He goes to that party, he ends up being shot. We can't have that.”

Ryder briefed County Executive Bruce Blakeman last night on the shooting and said he sends his condolences to the victims, but he is outraged the party went on illegally.

“We are having a zero tolerance towards these types of parties,” Ryder said.

The department has perused social media proactively “to go after and shut down these types of parties,” he said.

Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages (D – Lawrence) said: "In the aftermath of such a tragic event, concerns about safety are natural and understandable. To restore peace of mind in this community, I appreciate the Nassau County Police Department’s plans to increase patrols in the area where the shooting occurred."

Investigators are asking the community to contact them if they see any advertised.

“We can go and take proactive measures so that we don't let a party like this get out of hand,” he said, adding that the department will be adding its operation Overwatch into the community, making sure that it is up and down the border with New York City and Nassau.

Each weekend, the department shuts down similar parties with alcohol and drugs, according to Ryder.

“This one we didn't get,” he said.”Now the county executive has turned it up, and he said he wants more attention towards all of these parties. So we will be shutting them down every time they try to go.”

Police are asking anyone who might have information about the party to contact Crime Stoppers, a confidential police hotline, at 1-800-244-TIPS.