2 men shot near the Long Island home of Representative Lee Zeldin Two men were shot near the Long Island residence of Representative Lee Zeldin at 02:38 Lee Zeldin, Republican candidate for governor of New York and congressman from New York, says his family is safe after two teenagers were shot outside his Long Island house on Sunday afternoon.
The two 17-year-old boys were strolling with a third youngster in Shirley, New York, where Zeldin resides, when they were struck by gunshots from a moving vehicle, according to Suffolk County Police. The injured adolescents then attempted to conceal themselves in Zeldin’s yard by ducking under his porch and into the bushes, while their companion departed.
Zeldin stated that while the congressman and his wife were not at home during the shooting, their teenage girls were in the kitchen doing homework when they heard gunshots and screams. “One of the rounds was located 30 feet away from where they were sitting,” Zeldin stated during a press conference on Sunday night.
According to the police, the teenagers’ injuries were not life-threatening. Both were treated at a hospital in the region.
The teens are from the nearby communities of Mastic and Mastic Beach, but their identities have not been disclosed.
The Suffolk County Police Department stated, “At this time, investigators have no reason to believe there is any connection between the incident and the residence.” Zeldin stated that he was unaware of the identities of the two individuals that were shot.
His 16-year-old daughters reportedly locked themselves in the bathroom and called 911. He stated that the family is shaken but okay.
When the incident occurred, Zeldin and his wife were returning from a parade in the Bronx. He stated that police investigators were conducting an investigation at his residence on Sunday evening and examining the security cameras.
A department representative stated that the police have no information about who fired the rounds. Campaigning against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, Zeldin has made violent crime a focal point of his campaign.
Among other measures, he has advocated for the state’s bail regulations to be strengthened. “Like so many New Yorkers, criminality has practically reached our doorstep,” Zeldin remarked on Sunday. Later, he stated in a tweet that his girls were seated at the kitchen table throughout the shooting and that a bullet was located 30 feet away from them.
This is Zeldin’s second fright in recent months. In July, while campaigning in upstate New York, he was assaulted by a man who approached him onstage and put a sharp instrument near his head and neck. The man was arrested and the victim was not wounded. Hochul stated in a Twitter post that she had been briefed on the shooting.
“While we await additional information, I am relieved to learn that the Zeldin family is safe and appreciative of law enforcement’s prompt reaction,” the governor stated.