Two people were gunned down on the streets of Queens between Friday night and Saturday morning, according to authorities.
Law enforcement sources said a 37-year-old woman was killed by a stray bullet fired outside the Woodside Houses public housing complex, at the corner of 48th Street and Broadway, in Woodside at about 8:14 p.m. on March 12.
Officers from the 114th Precinct, in responding to a 911 call about shots fired, found Gudelia Vallinas, 37, of 48th Street, unconscious and unresponsive, with a gunshot wound to her head.
EMS units rushed her to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Sources familiar with the investigation believe she was not the intended target of the unknown shooter. Police did not have a description of a possible suspect, and no arrests have been made.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said he was “heartbroken” to learn of the fatal shooting.
“This is just the latest in the disturbing rise of shootings in our borough, Richards said on Saturday. “Law enforcement must work hand in hand with our communities in order to make our neighborhoods safer, and to make this a reality, we need an expansion of the crisis management system. My heart is with Gudelia Vallinas’ family. My office reached out to her family, and we are ready to be a partner in the fight for justice.”
A few hours later, a 24-year-old man was gunned down early Saturday morning in a drive-by shooting in Queens Village, authorities said.
According to police, the victim and two other men were sitting inside a Mitsubishi SUV parked in front of a home on 98th Avenue near 219th Street at about 12:59 a.m. on March 13 when another vehicle pulled up to the scene.
Cops said someone in the second vehicle then pulled out a gun and began firing shots, striking the 24-year-old man in the chest and right arm. Police sources said the two men with the victim were not injured.
Following the gunfire, the shooter and the second vehicle fled in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 105th Precinct and EMS units responded to the shooting. EMS units rushed the victim to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police have withheld his identity, pending family notification.
No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation, police said.
Anyone with information regarding either shooting is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
This story first appeared on amny.com.
