A 7-month-old baby girl was fatally struck by a stray bullet in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, sparking outrage and grief as chilling surveillance footage captured the moment her mother realised the tragedy.The infant, identified as Kaori Patterson-Moore, was in a stroller with her parents near the intersection of Humboldt and Moore Streets in Williamsburg when gunfire erupted around 1:15 pm, police said. Family members said the infant had just begun to say “mama” and had not yet started walking.The incident has reignited concerns over gun violence in New York City, with officials vowing renewed efforts to address the issue.Authorities said two suspects riding a motorbike approached the area, where a group of people had gathered outside a deli. The passenger allegedly opened fire before the pair fled the scene.According to investigators, the suspects were travelling the wrong way down the street when they approached the crowd. The gunman fired multiple shots, one of which struck the baby in the head.Surveillance footage from a nearby bodega shows the harrowing aftermath. The child’s mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, initially unaware of what had happened, was tending to her 2-year-old son when she looked into the stroller and discovered her daughter bleeding.Witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion. Some initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks before realising the severity of the situation.One resident said he saw the baby on the ground as the mother screamed in distress. Another witness said she initially believed the sounds were firecrackers before feeling debris hit her legs.The baby’s father rushed her to Woodhull Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:46 pm. Her older brother suffered a minor graze wound and was treated.
What NYPD police said
Police said the suspects fled the scene on the motorbike but crashed into an oncoming vehicle two blocks away.The passenger was thrown off the bike and taken to hospital, where he was later identified as a person of interest and taken into custody in connection with a separate domestic incident. He had not been formally charged in the shooting as of Wednesday evening. Authorities have launched a manhunt for the second suspect, who was driving the motorbike.Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said the investigation is ongoing and that officials are working to determine the motive and intended target.
What Zohran Mamdani said
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the incident as a “devastating reminder” of the work still needed to combat gun violence.“We cannot accept this as normal in our city,” he said. “We cannot be numb to this pain.”He added, “A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant. There are no words that can mend the heartbreak this family is feeling now.”
