Yonkers residents fed up with gun violence

A neighborhood in Yonkers is demanding changes after another shooting this past weekend.

News 12 Staff

Jun 7, 2022, 9:39 AM

Updated 697 days ago

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A neighborhood in Yonkers is demanding changes after another shooting this past weekend.
Police say they are still investigating a report of gunfire in the Ludlow section of the city Saturday afternoon.
Residents say shots rang out around 3:30 p.m. at an apartment complex which has been the site of several acts of gun violence over the last few years.
"This is what we see every day on the news, everywhere we go," said resident Miguel Collado.
This time, the gun violence epidemic hits close to home.
In May 2016, a man was shot standing outside of the complex. Two-and-a-half years ago, a 12-year-old was shot in the neck by a stray bullet.
And just this past April, police investigated a "shots fired" incident where no one was hurt.
Yonkers mother Doshia Nichols and many in the neighborhood says they have had enough.
"You'll see it get flooded with all the young kids and adolescents that you know, don't act right," Nichols says.
Yonkers police continue to crack down on guns, particularly among young people. But residents say more must be done.
"If you're not a military person, don't carry a gun," Collado says.
No one was injured over the weekend. But without something changing, residents worry the next incident could end differently.
Police say they're still looking for the people involved, and no arrests have been made.
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a 10-bill package Monday that tightens New York's gun laws. The measures target social media platforms and expand the red flag laws to enable courts to seize guns from people believed to be a danger to themselves or others.
"It's just too many families have been destroyed, shattered because of targeted gun violence, but also the random gun violence that occurs on our streets every single day," says Candice Vaughn, of Yonkers.
The new gun control package also restricts anyone under the age of 21 from buying semi-automatic rifles. But in the Hudson Valley, many say illegal guns are the problem when it comes to everyday random violence. "Guns are easy to get to, like buying coffee," says one man who did not wish to be identified. "You can just go so freely and pick up a gun anywhere basically on the streets. It's terrifying, it's really terrifying."
Bagwell says she has been waiting a long time for this day. "It's kind of like when you're having a baby, and you're waiting and waiting and finally, it's like, oh my goodness, delivery. It's very exciting because it's been a really long time. Very exciting."


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