The year 2025 in New York City started with a grim reality as two lives were tragically lost even before the break of dawn on Wednesday.
Around 4:20 a.m., a man fell victim to a neck slashing incident outside a deli located at West 137th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem.
The victim was declared deceased at Harlem Hospital, located nearby.
The suspect voluntarily surrendered himself to the police at the 26th Precinct shortly thereafter.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown at this time.
Just an hour later, a group of people in the Bronx fell under attack when a gunman began firing at them.
A video from Citizen App captures the scene at East 170th Street and Teller Avenue in the Claremont section.
Mario Fowler, a 46-year-old individual, was discovered inside the premises with injuries caused by gunshots to both of his legs, according to the police.
The individual was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, where medical professionals declared him deceased.
A 23-year-old man was discovered in front of 1420 Clay Ave with a graze wound to his chin. Fortunately, he is currently in stable condition.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunman was dressed entirely in black and wearing a ski mask.
In 2024, the NYPD reported a 4% decrease in murders compared to the previous year, with a total of 376 killings by the end of the year.
The occurrence of shootings decreased by 8%, and there was a 5% decline in the number of individuals who were victims of shootings.