A 7-month-old girl was killed by a stray bullet while sitting in her stroller on a busy street in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood on Wednesday, prompting an outpouring of grief from city leaders and an active police investigation into what authorities describe as a gang-related shooting.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the tragedy shortly after it unfolded, saying his “heart aches for the parents impacted by this strategy tragedy and all those across New York City who have reckoned with such unthinkable pain.” He added that “every single child in the city deserves to grow up free from the threat of gun violence” and that “every parent in the city deserves the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their children are safe when they leave home.”
The victim was identified as Kaori Patterson-Moore. According to police and witness accounts, the infant was being pushed in a double stroller by her mother near the intersection of Moore and Humboldt streets shortly after 1 p.m. when gunfire erupted. The mother rushed the child into a nearby grocery store (bodega), where she discovered the baby had been struck. Kaori was transported to a hospital but was pronounced dead.
Surveillance video from inside the bodega captured the heartbreaking moment the mother realized her daughter had been hit, showing the stroller and the mother in visible distress.
NYPD officials identified 21-year-old Amari Green as the alleged shooter. Green, who was riding on the back of a moped, allegedly opened fire toward a group that included adults and children at the intersection. Authorities say the shots struck Kaori, who was not the intended target, and grazed her 2-year-old brother who was seated in the same stroller.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that Green, who is currently hospitalized after the getaway moped crashed into another vehicle and flipped over, will be charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. He is expected to be arrested in his hospital bed.
A second suspect—the driver of the moped—fled the scene and remains at large. Police have identified the driver but are not releasing his name at this time to protect the ongoing investigation. An all-out manhunt is underway for the individual.
The incident occurred in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, near the border with Bedford-Stuyvesant. NYPD personnel were seen combing the scene, speaking with witnesses, and processing evidence in the hours following the shooting.
At a press conference addressing both the tragedy and broader crime statistics, Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Tisch expressed remorse for the loss of the infant while highlighting NYPD efforts. Major crimes are down across all five boroughs, with murders in Brooklyn specifically down 57% compared to the same period last year. Tisch and the mayor emphasized that the department is doing everything possible to combat gun violence and ensure public safety.
The shooting has deeply affected the local community, with residents and family members grappling with the loss of a child who had only recently begun saying her first words and taking her first steps. Authorities continue to investigate possible gang affiliations tied to the Marcy Houses area and whether the gunfire was directed at a rival gang member, potentially the infant’s father.
As the manhunt for the second suspect continues, city officials have reiterated their commitment to holding those responsible accountable and preventing further violence against innocent victims, especially children.
