THE NYPD IS asking for the public’s help identifying the five people seen in this video who they say are wanted in connection with a non-fatal shooting incident that occurred inside 2065 Morris Avenue in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx on Monday, May 5, 2025. Video courtesy of the NYPD

The NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying the five people seen in the attached video and photos who they say are wanted in connection with a non-fatal shooting incident that occurred in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx.

 

Police said that on Monday, May 5, at around 6 p.m. two groups of unidentified people got into a verbal dispute inside 2065 Morris Avenue, a residential building located next to the constituency office of Democratic City Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) and a physical altercation ensued.

 

Police said two people displayed and fired guns, striking a 20-year-old male victim in the hip. “EMS responded and transported the victim to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition,” a police spokesperson said.

“One of the sought individuals fled the location on foot, traveling northbound on Morris Avenue,” the spokesperson added. Police said four other people fled the location in a black vehicle, traveling northbound on Morris Avenue.

 

They said the first suspect is described as male, has a dark complexion, and was last seen wearing a black jacket, a gray sweatshirt, gray sweatpants, and dark colored sneakers. They said the second suspect is also described as male, has a dark complexion, is around 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and has a heavy build and long braided hair.

 

Police said he was last seen wearing a dark-colored jacket, dark-colored pants and light-colored sneakers. They said the three remaining unidentified suspects are described as male.

 

On Friday, May 9, the council member joined gun violence interrupters, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), for a rally at the location of the shooting to call for an end to gun violence.

“On May 5th, a man was [shot] at 2065 [Morris] Avenue,” B.R.A.G. members wrote in advance of the rally. “The individual was able to survive, but this unacceptable!!!

 

They continued, “Even worse is that the shooting took place on the same street as our NYC District 14 Council Member Pierina Sanchez’s office. So today, at 5 p.m., come join BRAG at the very spot of this violent incident as we loudly deliver the message of ‘NO MORE SHOOTING!!!’ Rain or Shine, as a COMMUNITY, we must STAND TOGETHER because one person shot is ONE TOO MANY!!!”

 

Meanwhile, Sanchez said, “On Mon. May 5, there was a shooting inside the building that houses my district office, a horrifying act of violence that left a young person hurt and our community shaken. As a mother, neighbor, and rep of this community, where I was born, raised & live, I am heartbroken and furious.”

She continued, “A young person harmed another young person; this is not normal. This is unacceptable. Thank you to BRAG for holding this rally to say loud and clear: ‘Put the guns down. Lift the lives up. Stop the violence.’ In 2022, we experienced two shootouts right outside this same building. We didn’t walk away. We stayed. We organized. We block-partied. We invested in healing. Together, we saw the violence go down, but we will not rest until it reaches zero, because every life in our community is sacred.”

 

Sanchez went on to say that through persistent advocacy, she founded the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, and secured a commitment from the governor for $10 million in resources to uplift the neighborhoods with a public health and community-driven approach to safety.

The partnership was launched just four months ago in February, alongside other elected officials and community advocates from Good Shepherd Services, Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), and the Jerome Avenue Revitalization Collaborative (JARC), at Morris Heights Health Center.

 

On Dec. 12, 2024, elected officials had sent a joint letter urging the mayor and governor for support in tackling rising rates of violence to help the residents of the West Bronx feel safe. The letter emphasized that, despite citywide improvements in public safety, the West Bronx had trended in the opposite direction. They said the stark contrast was particularly evident when comparing rates of gun violence, and that while the city had seen improvements in shooting victims and incidents, several precincts in the Bronx had been reeling, with both shooting victims and incidents on the rise.

Officials said the partnership would draw upon existing efforts and resources, as well as proven interventions and techniques that address not only the present raging symptoms of violence, but importantly, its root causes.

 

“As our city faces attacks from Washington, the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership is bringing together leaders from every level of government, alongside community leaders and institutions, from our schools to health organizations and service providers, to build lasting community safety,” said Sanchez at the time.

 

She continued “Violence in NYC is deeply uneven, with just 4% of the city’s 120,000 blocks accounting for nearly all shootings, according to an analysis by the Gothamist. This stark reality disproportionately affects historically disinvested neighborhoods like the West Bronx, where systemic disinvestment has fueled cycles of instability.”

She said the new partnership was about addressing not just violence as it occurs, but also the root causes of violence, lack of opportunity, and disconnection, by ensuring communities received the resources they deserved. “We will focus on key investments in youth programs, mental health services, and economic development to drive real change,” Sanchez said. “I am proud to stand with our community to fight for concrete, community-driven solutions during these uncertain times and beyond.”

 

Davon Russell, president of WHEDco, said the goal of the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership resonated deeply with WHEDco’s mission to empower communities and create lasting change. “By focusing on community-informed solutions, we believe it will improve both safety and long-term outcomes for the families we serve, with the support and investment of all levels of government,” he said. “The partnership will enhance our support of Bronx residents, ensuring they receive the resources they deserve and need.”

 

Meanwhile, Annie Minguez, vice president of government and community relations at Good Shepherd Services, of which B.R.A.G. is a program, said, “Good Shepherd Services is pleased to be a part of the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, which will allow residents and other community stakeholders of the West Bronx an opportunity to collectively identify the capital and programmatic investments needed to address all aspects of community safety to ensure children and families can thrive in the Bronx.”

The launch was also supported by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson who said it was a critical step toward addressing the urgent safety concerns facing communities. She thanked all involved for their leadership in convening the initiative. “While our city has seen improvements in public safety, the West Bronx has not experienced the same progress,” Gibson reiterated in part. “The rising rates of violence, particularly gun violence, cannot be ignored.”  

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark also weighed in on the launch. “I commend Councilmember Sanchez for her leadership by conceptualizing, advocating and acting on behalf of the West Bronx community,” Clark said. “This partnership looks to connect community organizations, constituents, and elected officials in order to amplify resources, ending an era of working in silos, and disinvestment.”

 

She added, “As I have been advocating since I took office, we need to work on addressing the root causes of crime in order to achieve public safety. I’m ready to partner with all stakeholders to reduce violence and make the Bronx safer and more resourceful for Bronxites.”

 

For his part, State Sen. Robert Jackson (S.D. 31) said in part that violence was not born in a vacuum. “It is the bitter fruit of neglect, poverty, and disinvestment,” he said. “The West Bronx Community Safety Partnership stands as a resolute commitment to break this cycle, not with hollow words, but with action. By prioritizing youth programs, mental health support, and economic opportunities, we are building the foundation for a safer, stronger West Bronx. We refuse to accept a reality where our neighborhoods suffer while others thrive.”

 

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), meanwhile, said that as a proud partner of the West Bronx Community Safety Partnership, he was looking forward to working together with what he called the dynamic group of local stakeholders who shared the same goal, to curtail the violence that he said has plagued local communities for far too long.

 

“From elected officials, to law enforcement, and grassroots organizations, we will collectively address violence in our communities by driving more investments towards successful programs such as ‘Cure The Violence’ while creating new, innovative initiatives that will ultimately bring real safety to our neighbors,” Rivera said.

Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86) said elected officials had seen firsthand the challenges the community endures, from gaps in addiction services to the pervasive impact of gun violence. “This partnership marks a long-awaited, essential step toward fostering a safer, healthier West Bronx,” she said in part.

 

Back at the rally, Sanchez said the community needed to see the $10 million investment hit the streets now. “I also pushed the Mayor to bring the ‘Every Block Counts‘ initiative to this block, focusing city agencies where the need is greatest. We were promised investments, including cameras. We need them now.”

 

She concluded, “Our children deserve bright, safe futures. We will keep pushing, organizing, and investing in real solutions until every block in our community is a place of peace, promise, and opportunity.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.