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Three men have been arrested after a shooting and fight broke out outside a NYCHA building in Bushwick early Monday morning, leaving a father and son injured, police said.
A verbal argument escalated into violence outside the building’s main entrance on Bushwick Avenue just before 8 a.m. near a playground at the complex, officials said.
Police say Damon Lawrence, 35, pulled out a gun and fired it. A 65-year-old father was shot in the leg, and his son Quanell Ricks, 35, was shot in the abdomen.
Investigators say the father and son were able to disarm the gunman during the struggle. Police say the shooter was then struck with a blunt object, believed to be a baseball bat.
All three men were taken to the hospital and are expected to recover, according to police.
Family members say the shooting happened at a time the neighborhood was just waking up and children could have been heading out for school.
“This is absurd,” said Nate Ricks, a family member of the victims. “You’re shooting early in the morning, with kids walking back and forth, school kids going to school.”
They added that when someone is attacked, fighting back can be instinctive. “It’s human nature to try and fight back and protect your family,” he said.
Police say Lawrence has been charged with assault as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon. Quanell Ricks was also arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon related to the baseball bat. Police said three arrests were made but have not yet released charge details for the third person or explained what led to the hate crime charge.
The investigation remains ongoing.