Second Suspect Arrested in Brooklyn Drive-By Shooting That Killed Infant
Police have confirmed the arrest of a second suspect in connection with the stray-bullet killing of a 7-month-old baby girl on a Brooklyn street. The tragic incident, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon, has sent shockwaves through the community and prompted strong statements from city officials.
Arrests Made in Pennsylvania and New York
Matthew Rodriguez, 18, was apprehended in Pennsylvania on Friday by New York Police Department detectives working in collaboration with U.S. Marshals. This arrest comes just two days after the suspected shooter, 21-year-old Amuri Greene, was taken into custody shortly following the drive-by gunfire that claimed the life of Kaori Patterson-Moore.
Greene pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges during his arraignment on Friday and is being held without bail. Authorities have not yet released court papers detailing Rodriguez's alleged role in the incident, but police indicated they were primarily seeking the gunman and the moped driver involved.
Tragic Details of the Shooting
According to a court complaint, the incident unfolded when two men sped down a Brooklyn street on a moped on Wednesday afternoon. Greene, who was riding on the back of the vehicle, allegedly fired into a group of people gathered on a street corner.
Kaori Patterson-Moore was in her stroller at the time of the shooting. Her mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, told the New York Post that she initially believed the sounds were fireworks. While comforting her startled 2-year-old son, who had been grazed by a bullet, she looked to her left and discovered her baby daughter bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head.
"My daughter was innocent. She didn't deserve that," Charles-Moore told the newspaper. She added that her daughter was just beginning to crawl and had recently started saying "Mama."
Aftermath and Investigation
The court complaint states that Greene told police he was aiming for another person in the crowd. Following the shooting, the moped sped away and crashed into a car two blocks away, hurling both men off the vehicle. Greene was injured and was subsequently hospitalized in police custody, while the moped driver fled the scene.
Police have not yet provided information on how the two men are connected or where Rodriguez resides. Charges against Rodriguez are pending, and authorities have not indicated they are looking for any additional suspects beyond the gunman and the moped driver.
Official Responses and Community Impact
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch have expressed profound heartbreak and outrage over Kaori's death. Commissioner Tisch described the incident as "a tragedy that truly shocks the conscience" during a news briefing on Wednesday.
"This is a terrible day in our city," Tisch emphasized, highlighting the devastating impact of the shooting on the Brooklyn community and the city at large.
As of Friday night, electronic court records did not include the name of Greene's attorney, and no working telephone numbers could immediately be found for relatives of either suspect. The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together the full circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking case.
