Two teenage girls were shot Tuesday afternoon in front of the McDonald’s at 1403 Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, turning a routine weekday into a crime scene. The victims, ages 14 and 16, were hit by gunfire and taken to NYU Langone Hospital 6Brooklyn. Police say both are expected to recover.
What police say
Gunfire erupted just after 4:30 p.m., striking the 14-year-old in her left foot and the 16-year-old in her upper right leg, according to News 12 Brooklyn. Citizen app footage shared with the outlet shows officers standing outside the restaurant with crime-scene tape stretched across the sidewalk.
EMS rushed both teens to NYU Langone Hospital 6Brooklyn, where officials told News 12 Brooklyn that the girls were expected to recover from their injuries.
Fast-food flashpoints
The shooting adds fuel to ongoing concerns about trouble at some fast-food spots around the borough, where fights and loitering have pushed operators to shake up how they do business. In Flatbush, one McDonald’s started checking IDs and barring anyone under 20 from entering without an adult after repeated disturbances, ABC7 New York reported.
Neighbors react
Despite a handful of recent shootings in the broader area, neighbors told reporters they still see Coney Island as generally safe. In earlier coverage, News 12 Brooklyn detailed separate incidents near West 16th Street and Neptune Avenue that left multiple people wounded and led to a temporary increase in police patrols…