An 11-year-old boy is in critical condition after he and his brother were shot Wednesday afternoon near Jerry Burrell Park, police said.
The incidents happened shortly after 2 p.m. in the area of Schenectady and Hulett streets.
Police received a 911 call about a young boy down on the ground in the park suffering a gunshot wound to the head. The boy, 11-year-old Nasjarah Pulliam, was taken to Ellis Hospital, according to Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett.
The child has a bullet lodged in his brain, according to spokesman Sgt. Luciano Savoia. “They’re not going to operate to remove it,” he said.
Bennett believes the boy ran into the park after being shot. Schools had a half-day Wednesday — the next-to-last day of the year.
Within minutes of that call, police received a report about a second victim — 18-year-old Shaune Daniels who had run from the scene and dropped in front of Zaid Discount on Albany Street.
He was taken to Albany Medical Center with a least one gunshot wound to the back, according to Savoia.
Authorities do not know if it was a drive-by shooting or shots fired by suspects on the ground. People at the scene said they had heard that it was a car.
“The investigation is quite early. We don’t have a lot,” Bennett said.
Police received a tip that the possible suspects were in a house at 408 Schenectady St. The SWAT team raided the house but did not find anybody.
Police recovered a small semiautomatic pistol lying in the middle of Schenectady Street. Police did not find any drugs at the scene. Officers are interviewing people in the area.
“We’re getting cooperation from the people. Obviously we have begged for that many times. We need them to be our eyes and ears,” Bennett said.
Officers are reviewing the footage form two security cameras in the vicinity of the park.
Also within minutes of the second call, there was a report of two females stabbing each other near the 800 block of Stanley St.
“I don’t believe this is related,” Bennett said.
Officers blocked off several streets surrounding Jerry Burrell Park with crime scene tape. Area residents reacted in shock at the violence.
Roddy Delagrandeanse, who lives on Summit Avenue, said his son was playing in the neighborhood.
“That’s why I’m scared to death to let him come out here,” he said, gesturing to the park.
Delagrandeanse added that street violence is a “cancer” that police must eradicate.
Resident Lucille Harris said she heard police were looking for a silver or gold car.
“It’s crazy. Anybody could have gotten killed out here.”
Resident Delaine Jones, who did not wish to give her address, said both victims live upstairs from her and she has had cookouts with them. “They’re both good boys,” she said. “They don’t bother nobody.”
Mayor Brian U. Stratton said he is shocked by the violence.
“It is particularly sobering, traumatizing to see it happen right at the beginning of the summer at the edge of a park,” he said. “What we need to do is get these illegal guns off the streets.”
He said it is frustrating because the city has made efforts to combat crime in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood with installation of surveillance cameras and improvements at the park. Statistically, violent crime has gone down.
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Categories: Schenectady County
