Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Sewell Provide an Update on Upper East Side Shooting

June 29, 2022

Commissioner Keechant Sewell, Police Department: Thank you for coming. Joining me here is Mayor Adams, Chief of Department Kenneth Corey, and Captain Allen from Detective Borough Manhattan North. I want to remind you the information I’m about to give you is preliminary as this incident is only two hours old. Earlier this evening, at approximately 8:23 PM, officers responded to a report of a person shot opposite 164 East 95th Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered a 20 year old female who was unconscious with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS responded to the scene, transported the victim to Metropolitan Hospital where she was pronounced deceased at 9:20 PM

Commissioner Sewell: Our preliminary investigation revealed that the 20 year old victim was pushing an approximately three month old in a baby stroller on East 95th Street when an unknown person approached her and fired a single shot into her head from a very close range. Immediately after the shooting, the suspect fled the scene on foot heading eastbound on East 95th Street. He is described as a male who was last seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants, and black pants, all black. At this time there are no arrests, and I am urging anyone who has information that can help us with this investigation to please call us at 1 (800) 577-TIPS. All tips will be kept strictly confidential. I’ll pass it now to the mayor.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, commissioner. And I’m joined here with Councilman Powers and Councilwoman Menin, who both represent parts of Manhattan. This is Councilman Powers’ district. Earlier today, the police commissioner and I were with the attorney general talking about ghost guns. Later in the day, we were with the US senator, Senator Gillibrand talking about gun trafficking. This entire day, we have been addressing the over-proliferation of guns on our streets, how readily accessible they are, and how there is just no fear in using these guns on innocent New Yorkers. And this is the result of that.

Mayor Adams: These are real stories, real lives. When a mother’s pushing a baby carriage down the block, or a woman or an individual is pushing a baby carriage down the block and is shot in point blank range, it shows just how this national problem is impacting families. And it doesn’t matter if you are on the Upper East Side or East New York, Brooklyn. The oversaturation of guns and dangerous people that repeatedly leave our criminal justice system to continue actions like this. It is what’s making the New York City Police Department and other law enforcement agencies here in New York and across the country difficult to fight this issue. We’re going to continue to do our job. 3,300 guns off the streets that were not allowed to hurt innocent people, and we’re going to continue to move forward.

Mayor Adams: But we do need help from Washington, from the state, from our criminal justice system. We have been clear on that. And we’re going to find this person that’s guilty of this horrific crime. And we’re going to find him and bring him to justice. And we need the justice system to make sure this innocent person receive that justice that we’re asking for. 

Question: [Inaudible]

Commissioner Sewell: It’s under investigation at this time, it’s too early to say.

Question: [Inaudible]

Commissioner Sewell: We’re checking history, we’ll have more to say in the future. 

Question: [Inaudible] possibly father of the baby?

Commissioner Sewell: We can’t confirm that at this time, it’s under investigation.

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