By Tom Tracy
The B.B. gunner responsible for targeting two people in Coney Island earlier this year may have hung up his Red Ryder rifle. Deputy Inspector Robert Johnsen, the commanding officer of the 60th Precinct, said that there have been no other incidents linked to the January 4 shooting. At the time, cops had begun a full-court press for the shooter, who may have been taking aim at pedestrians from the Harbor View Houses. Shortly after the shooting, cops combed the area, where they were seen handing out flyers and alerting people to the potential danger. But during Tuesday’s 60th Precinct Community Council meeting, it seems that the B.B. gunner has disappeared. “We did a canvass of the building where we thought the shots were coming from, but we didn’t find anyone,” Johnsen told council members. “It probably was someone’s holiday gift. He realized that he did something wrong and his parents took it away.” Officials said that the victims targeted by the B.B. gunner included a woman and a young boy. Both said they were struck by B.B. pellets as they walked past the corner of Neptune Avenue and West 33rd Street. Police are theorizing that the pellets may have been fired from a window at 3415 Neptune Avenue. The woman, police said, was struck in the back of the neck. The boy was struck in the face, possibly in the cheek, officials said. The injuries were not considered serious. “There were only flesh wounds, so they’re okay, but it was quite a shock,” one cop at the scene said. Although there have been no further incidents, cops have not closed the case. Anyone with information regarding the B.B. gun shooting is urged to call the 60th Precinct at (718) 946-3311. All calls will be kept confidential.
