Shalimar Birkett shot and killed while attending a Brooklyn vigil for Miles Bobbsemple who also shot dead in a drive by shooting in a suspected gang land take down. Mom of two was not intended target.
Cycle of gun violence. A 32-year-old NYC woman attending an outdoor vigil for a homicide victim killed earlier that day in a drive by shooting, was herself fatally shot in a drive by shooting according to reports. Both shootings were thought to be linked to gang style like killings.
Shalimar Birkett, of Queens, was found lying in a Brooklyn street with a gunshot wound to the head, 11 p.m, Monday night, when police responded to a shooting on Park Place in the Weeksville neighborhood, according to the NYPD.
She was attending a vigil for 31-year-old Miles Bobbsemple, who was shot dead earlier that day, when a gunman opened fire from a passing white sedan, authorities said.
Birkett was transported to the nearby Brookdale Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The deceased woman — who was part of a crowd mourning Monday morning’s victim — is not believed to have been the gunman’s intended target WABC reported.
Birkett was ‘a friend, but not a close friend’ to Bobbsemple, her mother, Patricia Hamilton told the New York Daily News.
‘Why?’ Hamilton asked. ‘Why you had to come shoot and kill my daughter? She was just there.’
Hamilton added that Birkett was ‘was an outgoing, fun person, loved by everyone — all her friends and family’ and a mother of two young boys.
Bobbsemple died on Monday morning after he was shot in the chest at a Brooklyn house party and dropped off at Kings County Hospital, according to WABC.
No arrests
Police said that Bobbsemple was shot after he appeared to have accidentally stepped on a gang member’s foot or showed a sign of disrespect. A 30-year-old man was also wounded in the incident, but is expected to survive.
Members of the same gang are believed to have opened fire on the vigil in continuing escalation of violence.
Bobbsemple had no criminal record. Birkett had one prior arrest that is sealed.
As of Tuesday, there have been no arrests in either shooting and both investigations remain ongoing according to BronxNews12.
Anyone with information about either case is urged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
