Police are searching for a gunman who fired a weapon on a Brooklyn street Wednesday afternoon, striking a dog and narrowly missing a developmentally delayed woman. The incident occurred around 5:46 p.m. near 218 31st Street in Greenwood Heights, according to the NYPD.
The woman, identified as 64-year-old Teresa Pezzolla, was walking her dog, Honey, a seven-year-old labradoodle, when the shooting took place. Pezzolla's nephew told The Post that a gunman emerged unexpectedly and fired a shot at an unidentified male. The bullet missed the intended target and struck the dog.
Pezzolla, who is developmentally delayed, returned home with the injured dog. Her sister immediately called for a taxi to take Honey to an emergency veterinarian, where doctors successfully removed a .22 caliber bullet.
"So I’m thankful that the bullet didn’t hit my aunt because I think it would have been a lot worse," Pezzolla's nephew stated.
Nearby police officers on patrol encountered Pezzolla and her nephew, who directed them to the location of the shooting. Surveillance footage from the area is being reviewed by authorities. The nephew described the incident as unprecedented in the neighborhood, noting that he has lived there since childhood and never witnessed a shooting in the vicinity. He also reported that his aunt was very shaken by the event.
The NYPD is asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online via the Crime Stoppers website or through X, formerly Twitter, by messaging @NYPDTips.