ST. ALBANS – Police were seeking any information about a shooting incident along Merrick Boulevard in St. Albans in the early morning hours of Wednesday that left one man dead and another hospitalized.
Police said that on Wednesday morning at 3:49 a.m., a ShotSpotter siren activation alerted police from the 113th Precinct about shots fired near 126-14 Merrick Boulevard. A ShotSpotter system utilizes sensors in a community that might pick up sounds that could potentially be gunfire, and maps where those shots may be coming from.
Officers arrived on scene to find Chad Baldeo, 23, of Brooklyn, and another man injured with gunshot wounds. The victims were both 23 years old and were brought to Jamaica Hospital by EMS workers who responded to the scene.
According to the NYPD, Baldeo had just left Club Dubai at 126-15 Merrick Blvd. and was standing at the corner of Merrick and Leslie Road. A vehicle approached Baldeo, and a suspect exited and started firing at him. Baldeo was shot in the torso, and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Another man was shot in the lower left leg and was in stable condition as of press time, according to the NYPD. Police did not speak to motive, but they said while it was possible Bladeo had been targeted, it seemed as if the second victim was an unintended target. The name of the second victim was not released.
There were no arrests, according to the NYPD, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1 (800) 577-TIPS or to submit tips online at www.nypdc
