Five Shot At Rucker Park Basketball Tournament

One of five shooting victims at Holcombe Rucker Park. The victims are all in their 20's and one teen and are expected to survive according to the police. The incident began at approximately 10:30pm when an argument broke out in the stands. “The next thing you know one guy reaches into his pants pocket and pulled out a gun," said a witness at the scene. "He fired one shot into the crowd and then another." Video of the beginning of the incident which spills out on to the court and the sound of two shots being fired. (Photos: Sam Costanza/For New York Daily News)

Manhattan

Five people were shot on a Harlem basketball court Wednesday night during an annual basketball tournament, officials and witnesses said, according to the NY Daily News.

Gunfire erupted around 10 p.m. at the Holcombe Rucker Park court on Frederick Douglass Boulevard near W. 155th St. after a dispute during a game for the Entertainers Basketball Classic, witnesses said.

"They started arguing, about a bad call or something like that," said Rodney Harris, 47. "The guy was standing no more than five feet away from me. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot once. He then shot one more time. Everyone started running."

“He was real close to me,” Harris said. “I thought I got shot."

Nate Robinson, a former point guard for the Knicks, was at the game but escaped unscathed, witnesses said.

Police investigators at the scene at Rucker Park, West 155th Street and Eighth Avenue (Sam Costanza/For New York Daily News

"He was watching the game,” Harris said. “After the shooting, he was okay. He wasn't hurt...he left like everyone else."

The five shooting victims were taken to area hospitals and all expected to survive, police said. One other person also was injured in the incident.

The shooter started running amongst the crowd but then walked calmly across the street toward the Fine Fare supermarket and fired a few more rounds, Harris said.

"Then he just walked away. He didn't even run. My friend, a basketball player, got shot in the ankle,” he said. “It could have been worse."

Abdul Sam, 25, who works at a nearby deli, also heard the gunshots and commotion.

"I heard about four shots. Everyone started running," Sam said. "This summer is crazy."

Read More:

Nate Robinson escapes unscathed as five people are shot at Rucker Park basketball court in Harlem Former New York Knicks guard in attendance as gunfire erupts after dispute during a game for the Entertainers Basketball Classic, witnesses said.

New York Daily News - July 26, 2012 - By Edgar Sandoval and Sarah Armaghan

Hoops Shootout Horror

WATCH: Five people shot after Rucker Park basketball game ends in gunfire

New York Post - July 26, 2012 - By Helen Freund

17-Year-Old Arrested For Fatally Shooting 4-Year-Old Lloyd Morgan In Bronx Playground

Police arrested Rondell Pinkerton, 17, in connection with the shooting death of 4-year-old Lloyd Morgan in a playground in NYCHA's Forest Houses. Ironically, the incident occurred at a charity basketball tournament to raise money in the name of a girl who had been stabbed to death in Forest Houses last year. Pinkerton was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. (Photo: Seth Gottfried)

Bronx

Police arrested two men for the Bronx shooting that claimed the life of a 4-year-old, authorities said, according to the NewYork Post.

Rondell Pinkerton, 17, was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

The teen is believed to have fired the shot that killed Lloyd Morgan, who was playing at a nearby playground, police said.

Rondell Pinkerton, 17, (left) was denied bail. (screen grab: WPIX)

Pinkerton, who goes by the nickname "Spider," admitted to firing a weapon during the basketball game melee, but said he did so in self defense, police said.

Courtney Kelly, 26, who was shot during the violence, was also arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, police said. Kelly is recovering from his gunshot wound at Lincoln Hospital.

The gunfire erupted on Sunday night at the Forest Houses during a basketball game organized to honor Kelly’s slain sister Troynisha Harris, cops said.

Morgan was hit in the head by a stray bullet and died at Lincoln Hospital.

A 21-year-old was also shot during the shootout, he is stable condition.

Pinkerton was arrested last year for marijuana possession, cops said. Kelly has five prior arrests, two of which are sealed, for assault and robbery, cops said.

Yesterday, police said they were questioning “several other people” in the shooting.

Cops had taken down crime-scene tape blocking off the shooting scene on Monday afternoon, allowing the public to walk around in it and a press conference to be held there.

But more than 18 hours later, at 10:30 a.m. yesterday, they returned to the scene, taped off the area again, and began closely searching the area for evidence with metal detectors, rakes and other tools.

Crime-scene cops soon found three previously undiscovered pieces of ballistics evidence, including a shell casing that was lying on the ground about 40 feet from where Lloyd was shot, sources said.

Forest Houses residents said they believe that some of the gunmen came from the nearby McKinley Houses, where thugs have been engaged in a rivalry with punks from the Forest Houses.

Family friend Melody Nelson, who helped set up a memorial outside Lloyd’s family’s home, said the arrest was “great news.”

“Of course, they’re all 17,” Nelson said.

“That’s what they do, they shoot.”

Pointing to Lloyd’s shrine, she said, “He’s not the only kid.

“There’s going to be a million more.”

Additional reporting by Julia Marsh, Dan Mangan and Laurel Babcock

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A Walk In The Park - July 23, 2012

Final Section For High Line Expansion Acquired By City

Manhattan

New York City has acquired the third and final section of the High Line, an elevated stretch of historic freight rail line that's been converted to a public park, according to the The Associated Press.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said Monday that CSX Transportation Inc. donated the rail yards section to the city.

Initial designs for that section were unveiled in March.

The ownership transfer clears the way for construction of the final stretch of the High Line. It'll wrap around the planned Hudson Rail Yards between West 30th and 34th streets.

The Hudson Yards will be developed on the current site of the LIRR storage yard. It'll feature more than 12 million square feet of new office, residential, retail and cultural space — and 14 acres of public space.

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NYC acquires final section for High Line

ASSOCIATED PRESS - July 24, 2012

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Bloomberg - July 24, 2012 - By Gillian White

Fourth Person Stuck By Hypodermic Needle On NYC Beaches In Three Weeks

By Geoffrey Croft

For the fourth time in three weeks, someone has been pricked by a hypodermic needle on a city beach, A Walk In the Park has learned, three of the incidents have occured in Staten Island.

The latest victim was a female lifeguard who was stuck yesterday while on duty at Rockaway Beach. She stepped on a needle at 139th Street around 4:00 pm.

On July 16, a 63-year-old woman stepped on a hypodermic needle on Cedar Grove Beach and received a laceration to her foot. EMS transported the victim just before 1:00pm to Staten Island University Hospital North.

On Saturday, July 14, a 37-year-old was stabbed in his hand with a hypodermic needle while on the sand at South Beach - Father Capodanno Boulevard & Sand Lane just before 7:30pm. EMS transported him to Staten Island University Hospital North.

On July 4, a 40-year-old male was also stuck by a needle at South Beach. The incident occurred just before 9:00pm. He was transported by EMS to Staten Island University Hospital North.

"It's a bay, we're not on an ocean, " a parks employee who requested anonymity said speaking about the occurrences on Staten Island.

"This happens all the time. People dump stuff and it washes up here. You have to be careful. The public should be warned."

A few years ago after a spat of needle incidents a Parks Department press representative said, "this is a very unusual occurrence."

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4 NYC Beachgoers Stuck by Needles in Sand

The Parks Department says it conducts daily beach cleanings,

but strict budgets only allow for so much sand maintenance

WNBC News - July 27, 2012 - By Brynn Gingras

Four people injured from needles in sand of NYC beaches

ASSOCIATED PRESS - July 26, 2012

Three people stuck by hypodermic needles on Staten Island beaches

Staten Island Advance - July 25, 2012 - By Frank Donnelly

4 People Pricked By Hypodermic Needles On City Beaches This Month

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Fourth person to step on hypodermic needle at New York beaches in three weeks

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City To Spend $3 Mil For Rockaway Beach Replenishment After Advocates Push

John Cori of Friends of Rockaway Beach shows how erosion has plagued sections of the shoreline. The group has urged city officials to fund beach replenishment projects and lobbied federal officials to complete a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that would help determine more permanent solutions. (John Taggart For New York Daily News)

Queens

Sand-starved sections of Rockaway Beach, battered by erosion and Hurricane Irene, could be replenished later this year, according to the city Parks Department.

The Bloomberg administration made a last-minute $3 million allocation to the agency’s budget to pay for the project, according to the NY Daily News.

The money will be used to transfer sand dredged from the East Rockaway Inlet by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Making the two projects synchronize will be a challenge,” said Bill Tai, principal environmental planner at the Parks Department. “We will work with the Army Corps to move the sand where we think it’s needed most, roughly between Beach 85th St. and Beach 105th St. centered around Beach 92nd St.”

That news was hailed by beach advocates who embarked on an aggressive “Demand the Sand” campaign to get the attention of city and local officials.

“Friends of Rockaway Beach is excited about the news,” the group said in a statement.

“We are aware this is a temporary fix to our erosion issues and look forward to the conclusion of the 2004 Rockaway Reformulation Study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to find a permanent solution to the dangers of erosion.”

Tai said the city is also hoping additional funds are found to jump-start the federal study, which will help determine whether additional jetties or other structures are needed to fend off the endless cycle of erosion.

City Councilman Eric Ulrich credited Friends of Rockaway Beach and other residents for keeping the pressure on agency and city officials.

And he pointed out the sand is not just a recreational issue in Rockaway. It’s a safety concern.

“The Rockaway beaches were in desperate need of replenishment,” said Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

“Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc in Rockaway. It left people and property at risk.”

On some parts of the peninsula, the sand and the boardwalk are the only barriers between homes and raging waters during storms.

Tai said there is no set timeframe for the project, but it could start as early as the fall.

Once the sand is dredged from the East Rockaway Inlet, it could be moved by ship or piped to the western beaches.

“We would like to make this happen as soon as possible,” he said. “We are hoping to get between 100,000 and 150,000 cubic yards of sand.”

If more sand is available, it will be used to fill beaches in Far Rockaway in the area of Beach 20th St. and Beach 30th St.

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Boy, 4, Killed By Stray Bullet While In Bronx Playground

A child's bicycle is seen in the foreground surrounded by evidence markers. (Photo: Wayne Carringtom)

Bronx

A 4-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet in a Bronx playground last night as two thugs, angry over a dispute following a basketball game, began firing at each other, law-enforcement sources said, according to the New York Post.

“The mom said, ‘Oh no! Oh no! Not my kid!’ ” after learning the victim was little Lloyd Morgan, a witness said.

Two men were also wounded in the shootout — which occurred around 9:40 p.m. at the playground, where about 100 people had gathered for the basketball game and a barbecue.

Lloyd Morgan, Jr. 4, was shot in the head was shot in the head Sunday nigth while playing in a playground at the NYCHA Forest Houses in the Morrisania section of the Bronx near the corner of E. 165th Street and Tinton Avenue. Two men were also shot.

The men, 21 and 28 years old, were in stable condition.

The shooting took place at the Forest Houses on East 165th Street in Morrisania. The basketball game was part of a tournament for a teenage girl who was stabbed last year, residents said.

Lloyd was shot while playing near the basketball court. He was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died.

"This is my second child that's been taken away from me," said the boy's father Lloyd Morgan Sr.

Morgan Sr., 26, who works as a private security guard for the city in Long Island City, said his son is up to greet him when he returns home at 6 a.m. "bouncing the ball. That's all he wanted to do."

The little boy was set to attend the Bronx Lighthouse Academy in the fall, his father said.

Morgan Sr. said he gets stopped "on a daily basis."

"It's really not working if you ask me. We have more people locked up for dime bags of weed than for actual guns," Morgan Sr. said.

Meanwhile, at the scene of the shooting, witnesses descibed mayhem.

“People were screaming and the paramedics ran to him,” said witness Angelo Rodriguez, 53. “They came with the stretcher and ran him to the ambulance.”

State Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, who rushed to the scene, said the tragedy forced him to rethink his criticism of the NYPD’s policy of stop-and-frisk.

“There is a 4-year-old dead. Now we should really consider not stopping stop-and-frisk,” Stevenson said.

“I’m going to have to start supporting stop-and-frisk.

“We need to give the police leverage to use stop-and-frisk. They should be allowed to do it,” he said.

The bloodshed began when an argument erupted at the end of the game, which featured a team with the name The Ghetto Angels, authorities said.

“The basketball game started on the wrong foot,” said Stevenson. “It’s a bad name of a team for starters.

“The basketball game ended, people dispersed and shots rang out,” added Stevenson, who represents the area.

A woman, who asked not to be identified, said she “heard shooting and people screaming. They were screaming and running.

Lloyd Morgan, 4, was pronounced dead after he was shot at a New York City playground on Sunday. (Image: NBC)

“It sounded like a machine gun or something. I would guess 15 or 17 shots.”

Rodriguez said shell casings were found in a dimly lit area behind the playground.

“They shot across [the playground] towards the basketball court,” he said.

The 28-year-old victim was struck in the stomach and the 21-year-old was wounded in the arm.

It wasn’t immediately clear if those men were innocent victims or targets.

Sources said a 9mm and a .45-caliber gun were used in the shootout.

Additional reporting by Natasha Velez

Police are investigating the death of a 4-year-old boy in The Bronx, who was killed Sunday after being struck by a stray bullet. Lloyd Morgan, Jr. turned 4 in May according to his mother. (Photo: Wayne Carringtom)

Bronx Boy, 4, Killed After Gunfire Erupts At Basketball Game

NY 1 - July 23, 2012

Boy, 4, killed by stray bullet in Bx. gunfight, leading pol to back stop-frisk

New York Post - July 23, 2012 - By Larry Celona, Kenneth Garger and Tim Perone

Crime Boy, 4, shot in head and dies in wild shootout on a Bronx

basketball court 2 men also wounded in hail of gunfire

New York Daily News - July 23, 2012 - By Edgar Sandoval and Joe Kemp

Fire Rips Through $ 5 Mill. Construction Crane - Soccer Games Canceled - Arson Suspected

Eugene McCabe Field at E. 121st. Street and Park Ave In Manhattan. Players from the Young Boys Soccer League were turned away from their home field by the police early this morning who feared the crane might collapse on the soccer field.

A fire completely gutted the engine needed to operate the crane.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

A fire gutted a $ 5 million dollar construction crane late night in Harlem rendering it completely inoperable causing fear that it may collapse. The fire destroyed the mechanicals needed to operate the crane which left the boom stuck, a rig Bay Crane company employees said was capable of lifting 400 tons.

An officer from the NYPD's Arson and Explosion Squad removing evidence from the scene at Park Avenue and 121st Street.

Officials are looking into whether the fire was set deliberately. A gas can was found nearby according to multiple sources at the scene. An officer from the NYPD's Arson and Explosion Squad was observed removing evidence from the scene.

When asked if the evidence bags contained a gas can the officer replied, "The incident is under investigation."

The Fire Department responded to a call of a "Crain on Fire" just before 11:30pm last night. Twelve units - approximately 65 firefighters responded to the blaze which took approximately 20 minutes to get under control according to a FDNY official. The fire consisted of a combination of fuel, oil and melted fiberglass. Area residents said fire and smoke could be seen for more than an hour. Smoke filled the neighborhood skies.

The fire occurred at a construction site located at 121st. Street and Park Avenue where an extension to the North General Hospital is being built.

Police cordoned off the artificial turf soccer field and surrounding streets as a precaution of the crane collapsing.

In addition to Fire and NYPD investigators, officials from Mayor's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) , The Department of Buildings, Metro North were at the scene.

It was a very expensive act of vandalism," said one city official at the scene commenting on the arson theory.

"Metal just doesn't just spontaneous ignite. It wasn't even hot last night."

Neighborhood witnesses said the flames shot 2-3 stories high.

"I couldn't even tell what was on fire," said Leon who's lived across from the field since 2004. "Flames were in the air. They went as high as those buildings," he said pointing to nearby three story structures.

By the morning Bay Crane had brought in an additional three cranes to help lower the boom and begin dismantling the rig.

By mid-morning a large section of park fence had been removed and part of the field was being used as a staging area to help stabilize the crane.

Players from the Young Boys Soccer League were turned away from their home field by the Police who feared the crane might collapse.

21-year old East Harlem resident Siaka Coulibaly was disapointed he and his teammates could not play.

The league works with kids between the ages of 7- 18 said coach Koffi who arrived this morning to see the artificial turf soccer field and surrounding streets closed off.

"We accept it for our own security," he said, "but I hope they can get the field opened soon."

The league has permits to play from 8am -12:oopm

"It's very disappointing," said 21-year old East Harlem resident Siaka Coulibaly who's been playing at the field every Sunday with the league since he was 14.

"The police told us we can't use it because the crane might fall."

Stuck Crane. Eugene McCabe Field on the left and the North General Hospital construction site on the right. Marcus Garvey Park is in the background.