New York police officials said that three people are dead and 37 were shot across the city.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association said that 37 people were shot within 24 hours over the July 4 holiday. At least three of those people have died, the union said.
Those numbers were later confirmed in a post from Chief Rodney Harrison, who noted the 37 victims were shot between 12 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Shootings are up more than double from the previous year, according to the department. There were 59 shootings in the past week, and 26 during the same week in 2019, according to NBC4.
NYPD officials said that a male officer was injured by shattered glass and a female officer was treated at a hospital after a bullet struck a marked vehicle in the Bronx, WABC reported.
NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan later confirmed the incident.
“Today, we are extremely fortunate to not be mourning the loss of hero cops in the Bronx—who could’ve been killed last night when their police car was struck by gunfire. Despite these dangers, officers are out there on behalf of every NYer. They’re all owed a debt of gratitude,” he wrote.
New York City police unions again criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio for the rise in crime across the five boroughs.
“Two cops inside takes a bullet to the windshield outside the 40 Pct. stationhouse. Another perp points a gun at cops in Queens. Another throws a lit firework into an NYPD vehicle in Brooklyn. This is the environment that @NYCMayor & @NYCCouncil have created. Unacceptable,” wrote one of the unions.
The July shootings come after an especially violent June. Around 205 shootings were reported last month, making it the worst June since 1996, according to the New York Post, citing police officials.
Local news reports on Sunday also said there were a series of stabbings during the same overnight time period.
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