The New York Post reported that a deadly shooting that took place outside a migrant shelter in New York City on Sunday may have been linked to the notorious Venezuelan gang “Tren de Aragua.”
A turf war between rival migrant gangs escalated when a gunman on a scooter allegedly shot and killed 21-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker, Eny de Jesus, just outside a Brooklyn shelter at about 11 p.m. The incident has been linked to the notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, and a splinter group made up of former gang members. according to The shooting also seriously injured a 59-year-old man who had recently arrived at the shelter, according to the New York Post.
New York City: “Two masked gunmen on scooters opened fire outside a migrant shelter in Brooklyn, leaving one asylum seeker dead and another critically injured. Sources say it may have been a Tren de Aragua gang-related attack.” https://t.co/RvnA87dRty
— Illegal Immigrant Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) July 22, 2024
“We were sitting here, joking and stuff, celebrating a birthday, and two guys came on a motorcycle and shot him four or five times. They were wearing masks,” a Venezuelan migrant named Angel said in a statement, according to the New York Post. “I was here, and they started shooting from their motorcycles and just kept going.” (Related: Report: Gunmen attack wedding venue, kill at least 21 in brutal attack)
The gunmen specifically targeted De Jesus, shooting him multiple times. The elderly victim was reportedly caught in the crossfire and appeared to be an unintended casualty. Authorities detained one suspect after the suspects crashed a scooter shortly after the shooting. However, one of the suspects fled the scene and remains at large.
Editor's Note: Graphic content/ Migrants from Venezuela sit and keep warm by a makeshift fire as they wait to enter El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico to seek asylum on April 2, 2024. (Photo by Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the New York Post, Tren de Aragua has been linked to a variety of criminal activity in New York City, including armed robbery and assault, often using scooters to commit his crimes. No charges have been filed, and police are investigating whether the incident is related to another shooting that occurred minutes earlier at a nearby park, which also left a fatality.
