Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Bronx playground, but police say their investigation is far from over as they continue to search for several other young suspects, News 12 reported. Officers have released images of the additional teens they want to identify, appealing to the public for help in tracking down everyone involved in the gunfire.
According to investigators, the shooting took place at Bathgate Playground on the evening of May 16th. What should have been a routine evening at a neighborhood playground turned dangerous when gunfire erupted, drawing police to the scene and launching an investigation that has stretched on for weeks as detectives work to piece together who was responsible.
Police say one person fired shots into a group of people who were gathered at the playground. The decision to open fire toward a crowd raised the stakes considerably, and it is the central act that investigators have been focused on as they try to establish exactly who pulled the trigger and who else was involved in the moments around the shooting.
After the shots were fired, the gunman ran off toward Bathgate Avenue, according to the account. The shooter then got into a dark-colored sedan, which appears to have served as a getaway vehicle. That detail has become part of the trail investigators are following as they retrace the suspects' movements away from the playground.
Despite shots being fired directly into a group of people, no one was hurt in the shooting. The outcome spared the neighborhood a far worse tragedy, but police have treated the case with urgency given how easily firing into a crowd at a community playground could have ended in serious injury or death for those who were present.
So far, two people have been taken into custody in connection with the case. A 16-year-old and 18-year-old Anthony Sanchez were arrested and now face several charges, according to News 12. Their arrests mark the first significant step in an investigation that police say still has several outstanding suspects yet to be identified and located.
Investigators are now looking for even more teens connected to the shooting, releasing images of four young people ranging in age from 17 to 18 years old. Police are asking anyone who recognizes the teens shown in those images to come forward, hoping that tips from the public will help them round out the case and account for everyone involved.