Police have identified the
woman who was shot in the head in Mount Vernon on Saturday morning.
Officials confirm the victim
is 20-year-old Aliyah Waiters, a resident of the community.
Police say the shooting happened around 3 a.m. during an argument at a party near South 3rd Avenue and
East 4th Street. Waiters was rushed to New York Health +
Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx where she is in critical condition.
So far, no arrests have been made. Police have
not yet determined the motive of the shooting or said if the woman was the
intended target
The
community is outraged at the gun violence piercing through the city.
Mayor
Shawyn Patterson-Howard said she heard the shots ring out Saturday
morning.
"I literally live one block away from the scene. I was up
reading and preparing for some work, and I heard the shots ring out,"
she said. She said it sounded like it was more than 10 shots
fired that morning.
The mayor added that in 2020, 80%
of homicide cases were “closed” and that police in Mount Vernon are on track
for the same clearance record this year.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman released a statement, saying that his
offices will continue to work with the mayor and other elected officials to put
an end to incidents of gun violence in Mount Vernon.
“Every life
is sacred and it is going to take everyone to play their part to get this done," he said.
Some Mount Vernon residents say they're tired of
this violence, and Jesse Van Lew is heading a community action group
called "Save Mount Vernon." He is calling on Patterson-Howard
and state authorities to work together on solutions to getting guns off the
streets and wants policies
like “stop and frisk” instituted. "Stop and frisk needs help. Right now it’s all
hands on deck. You want stop and frisk in Mount Vernon? Bring it back,
too many guys carrying guns," says Van Lew, of Mount Vernon.
Police are asking for the public's help in
gathering any information available about the shooting. If you know anything,
they are asking you to call 914-665-2510.