Was it a stabbing? Was it a shooting? Was it a robbery?
The violent incident involving a gun that took place yesterday afternoon on Norman Ave and Guernsey St. was very unclear until I spoke to Officer Truglio at the 94th Precinct this morning, who gave me a play by play:
A robber asked a man on the street for directions. The man said he wasn’t from around the area, so the robber asked him for change for a dollar. As the man went into his pocket for change the robber beat him with a gun and went through his pockets. He then ran off. Someone in the area called 911, the cops saw the robber take off and then caught him on Graham Ave and Meeker Ave, and also recovered the gun.
Stay safe, Greenpoint.
Oh no! We live right there!!! Scary!
What is happening to Greenpoint!? In the 8 years I have lived in this lovely neighborhood there was never any crime. Now, this year all of the sudden people are getting jumped, raped, that poor girl went missing on Freeman. My car has been broken into twice in the past 6 months, including this past weekend! It seems the uptick started when those shelters opened……
Lifelong resident here. My house was burgled when I was growing up. Here are some more recent examples of crime:
• Possible drug-related murder on Clifford Place in 2011.
• Also in 2011, a shooting and robbery of a jewelry store.
• A few armed robberies on McGuinness Boulevard in 2012.
• Shots fired on Dupont Street in 2012.
No city is immune to violent crime, and just because Greenpoint’s public image is one of an idyllic, out-of-the-way small town doesn’t mean it really is. Hence why I keep my windows and doors closed and locked when I leave my apartment.
We are a block away from that. What the hell? This is in Greenpoint?
I witnessed most of this incident from my boyfriend’s Guernsey Street balcony yesterday and was one of the people to call 911 (I know of at least two other people who did the same). I’m afraid I contributed to the shooting versus pistol whipping confusion — when I saw a gun in the robber’s hand, I panicked and went inside, telling the 911 dispatcher I thought someone had been shot.
The violence of the attack was so intense, I was sure it must have been personal. This was 2:45 p.m., on a very populated residential street. The number of people who witnessed the assault — and took action to stop it — is a testament to what a terrible place this guy chose for a Sunday afternoon mugging. Emerging reports that the victim and perp didn’t know each other make the whole thing even scarier and more bizarre. I’ve always felt totally comfortable in this neighborhood, but I’ll never take my surroundings or my safety for granted again.
If anyone has any info on the victim’s medical condition, I’d really like to know if he’s ok. There was a lot of blood, and from what I understand, he was in a pretty bad state.
I don’t think the man was shot, just badly pistol whipped. I was walking by right when the cops came and saw a man laying in a pool of blood. Much respect to the individuals helping the man while waiting for an ambulance AND chasing the armed suspect- local heroes!
How do these things happen at 3pm on a sunny Sunday, with people AND small children walking around?! It absolutely blows my mind!
Pretty scared to walk down my streets now. I really hope that low-life gets what’s coming to him.
Prayers for the victim <3
as someone who was violently jumped by two guys (granted late at night) right on manhattan ave (near bedford) a couple years ago you have to watch your back in greenpoint! know lots of people who’ve been messed with here. wish cops were patrolling main streets a little more.
We were in town this weekend from Richmond VA, and missed this scene by mere minutes. I’ve always loved Greenpoint and have definitely let my guard down there before because I’ve always felt so safe. Hoping for the best for the victim, glad they caught the perp
One goes to the well to drink, right? As Greenpoint is established as part of the Williamsburg hipster buzz, opportunists of all types will interlope.
It’s not nice, but I’m afraid it’s a growing pain. Once they put those luxury towers down by the Boardwalk Empire set, they better be albe to hold down crime. No one will want to drop that kind of dough and still worry about getting mugged.
I’ve been living in the neighborhood for 18 years – when I moved in Greenpoint was NOT like it is today…. The neighborhood had not started gentrifying, and had a very different vibe. The community was not the same. Franklin Avenue at night was even not someplace to be late at night… you had to be street smart after dark in a lot of areas. That being said – during all these years that have gone by and the neighborhood has changed for the better, I have seen a drastic change in the past several months of the amount of sketchy people in the neighborhood… I agree w River City Chris above; as the neighborhood continues to grow and change, “opportunists will interlope” – but the one thing that I am sure of that has changed the neighborhood without question, is the Shelter on McGuinness. The shelter is for men with mental illness and substance abuse problems; it is a 200 bed facility. It would not be fair to judge all that use this shelter by any means -everyone needs a place to sleep and an opportunity to turn their life around, Im sympathetic to that – but since this shelter has opened, not only have I seen an influx of these people all over nothern Greenpoint, but I have witnessed or heard of so much more theft, muggings, violence, robberies, rape and now break in’s…. The amount of addicts on the street has increased significantly. In the past 4 months my car has been broken into twice – and the police are even saying they believe crime has increased significantly because of this. I can only hope things get under control and change for the better.