Two separate shootouts erupted on the streets of the City of Newburgh last night and sent police scrambling to contain both scenes. Gunfire from at least four pistols sprayed the streets, striking one person and riddling vehicles.
At 11:12 p.m., the City of Newburgh Police Department received a Shotspotter activation in the area of 100 William Street. Shotspotter is a series of electronic devices placed across the city to detect gunfire. The device reported that 21 rounds had been fired.
Police arrived and located all 21 expended shell casings of varying calibers – .40 caliber, 9mm, and .380 casings. This indicated to police that at least three separate handguns had been fired during the incident.
According to police, a 36 year-old man was shot at least once and sustained non-life threatening injuries to his neck and back. In addition, at least two vehicles were struck by gunfire.
While police were operating at the first shootout, they received an additional Shotspotter activation. This time, 16 rounds were shot off in the area of Johnston Street and Campbell Street.
Police arrived at the second scene and located a total of 13 expended shell casings in the area, all of which reportedly came from a .40 cal pistol. According to police, at least one vehicle was struck by the hail of gunfire, but there are no known shooting victims yet.
This is the latest in the rash of gun violence that city police and leaders are trying their hardest to combat. Law enforcement sources from multiple agencies across the state have claimed their efforts are being hindered by laws advocating for the rights of criminals.
On July 5, two shootings were reported at around 1:00 a.m. (story here). The first was on North Miller Street in which 42 shell casings were fired from three to four guns. The second was on Farrington Street in which two shell casings were found and a vehicle was struck by gunfire. Police recovered two guns. Following an investigation, two suspects have been charged.
From June 25 through June 22, three shootings were reported (story here). A 16 year-old boy was shot on North Miller Street. A 17 year-old boy was shot in his back on Lander Street when four gunshots were fired. A 23 year-old man and woman were also shot that night.
On June 11, three shootings and one stabbing left six people injured (story here). A 49 year-old man was shot when several rounds of gunfire erupted on Liberty Street. Two people were shot during another round of gunfire near the intersection of Mill Street and South William Street. A 17 year-old girl was shot at the Newburgh waterfront when another hail of gunfire broke out.
Police are actively investigating all of the aforementioned incidents. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the City of Newburgh Police Department’s tips number at (845) 569-7509. Callers may remain anonymous.
