According to a tweet sent by the Republican candidate for governor of New York, Representative Lee Zeldin, two adolescents were injured in a gunshot that took place on Sunday outside of his house.
It was reported that officers from the Suffolk County Police Department were investigating the incident that took place around 2:20 p.m. outside a residence in Shirley, which is located on Long Island. According to the department, the two lads, both of whom are 17 years old and are from Mastic and Mastic Beach, were sent to a hospital with injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.
Mr. Zeldin revealed this information at a press conference held late on Sunday night. He said that video from his security cameras showed the youngsters crouching underneath his porch and under a shrub in front of his door. According to Mr. Zeldin, it is quite probable that they were killed before entering the field of view of his surveillance cameras.
Mr. Zeldin said that he was not familiar with the young people. According to the officials, there is no relationship between the people who were hurt and the people who lived in the property.
The Suffolk County Police Department said late on Sunday that numerous gunshots were fired from a vehicle of a dark colour towards three teens who were strolling on Saint George Drive West. Two of the juveniles were struck by gunfire during the incident. The lads who were injured, according to the police, made an attempt to hide in the backyard of a house on the block, while the third adolescent ran away from the scene on foot.
Mr. Zeldin said that he and his wife, Diana, were not at home at the time of the shooting since they had just returned from the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in the neighbourhood of Morris Park. He said that his two daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, who are both 16 years old, were inside the house working on their schoolwork at the kitchen table when they heard screams and gunshots.
According to what he said, the individuals “went upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom, and promptly phoned 911.” They were very quick to respond and showed a lot of intelligence at each and every stage of the journey. Diana and I are really pleased of them.
Mr. Zeldin, a conservative congressman, has made improving public safety the primary focus of his election campaign. He has travelled across the state to bring attention to recent cases of violent crime, and he has pledged to tighten the state’s bail laws and increase enforcement of existing laws should he be elected.
He is believed to be the underdog in the race to unseat Democratic incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul, who had a substantial lead in previous surveys. In New York, there are more than two times as many Democrats as there are Republicans, and the campaign for governor has focused on highlighting Mr. Zeldin’s opposition to abortion rights and his support for former President Donald J. Trump.
The campaign of Mr. Zeldin has been involved in a violent incident for the second time in recent months, as shown by the gunshot. After having a physical confrontation with Mr. Zeldin onstage while he was participating in a political event in July, a man from Western New York was arrested and charged with assaulting a member of Congress.
The guy, who was later determined to be a veteran of the United States Army, was seen pointing a pointed keychain in the direction of the lawmaker. Later, he claimed that he had been drinking and that he was completely unaware of who Mr. Zeldin was. Mr. Zeldin related the assault to the larger theme of his speech against criminal activity.
After the incident in July, Mr. Zeldin’s campaign upped the level of security surrounding him. On Sunday, he reiterated the same point, stating that the shooting had a traumatic effect on his girls but that they were otherwise unharmed.
During a news conference, Mr. Zeldin, who was accompanied by members of his family and stood in front of yellow police tape, recited a number of recent violent crimes that had occurred in New York City. He then pleaded with the citizens of the state not to “surrender any street anywhere” to criminals.
Mr. Zeldin grew upset as he was responding to a reporter’s question about whether or not this was a suitable moment to speak about politics. It was at that time that he said, “At what point are we expected to speak about the criminality on our own streets?” “I’m standing in front of my own home in front of the crime scene tape,” I said.
About Twitter, Governor Hochul said that she had been informed on the incident and that she was “relieved to hear the Zeldin family is safe and appreciative for law enforcement’s prompt reaction.” She added that she was thankful for how quickly the authorities had responded.