Fatal Brooklyn lounge shooting reignites NYC mayoral candidate clash over gun violence response

BROOKLYN NY -- Zohran Mamdani described reporters on Sunday that the fatal shooting in New York City hours earlier was the latest example of the scourge of gun violence in the country's the majority populous city New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch substantiated that there were casualties including three fatalities in a suspected gang-related shooting at the Taste of the City Lounge in the borough's Crown Heights section During a canvass launch event in the Prospect Park neighborhood Mamdani narrated reporters that the happening is yet another example of the scourge of gun violence that has taken hold across so much of our city The New York City Democratic mayoral nominee noted that just three weeks ago the city experienced its deadliest mass shooting in years when a gunman killed four people in Midtown Manhattan before taking his own life DEADLIEST NYC SHOOTING IN DECADES TAKES CENTER STAGE IN MAYORAL RACE AS CANDIDATES SPAR ON INHABITANTS SAFETYMamdani called for investing in the very kind of programs and services that have been proven effective at combating this epidemic of gun violence specifically scaling up what he referred to as New York's situation management system MAMDANI DODGES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THREATS TO NYPD IN FIRST PRESSER SINCE DEADLY MANHATTAN SHOOTINGThe mayoral hopeful explained on Sunday that he is proposing increased capital in the Department of Area Safety Last month's Manhattan shooting propelled Mamdani's past comments including those calling to defund the NYPD to center stage in the race for Gracie Mansion My statements in were ones made amidst a frustration that multiple New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd Mamdani responded last month when a reporter solicited if he regretted any of his prior comments Mamdani has since walked back his stance on defunding police but his competitors including former New York Gov Andrew Cuomo seized on such comments telling CNN that Mamdani doesn t understand the importance of NYPD As details emerged on Sunday about the fatal shooting in Brooklyn incumbent mayor Eric Adams who is running as an independent claimed his administration has driven down crime by removing illegal guns from the streets What I can tell you we will continue our aggressive pursuit to remove these illegal guns off our streets Every single victim of violence particularly gun violence is one too countless he reported In a report on X Cuomo called the occurrence another horrific mass shooting My heart goes out to the casualties and to their loved ones General safety is and reliably has been Job This isn t the time to defund or dismantle the police We need more officers not less to keep our communities safe Cuomo noted in an apparent political jab at Mamdani and his past comments Meanwhile the Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa CEO of the Guardian Angels announced his thoughts are with the casualties and their families after this latest shooting Cuomo s pro-criminal laws created this mess and Mamdani s radical agenda would only make it worse The status quo has failed I m the only candidate with the courage to restore law and order in NYC Sliwa disclosed in a comment on X Fox News' CB Cotton contributed to this review