A 28-year-old man was fatally shot and a 23-year-old woman was grazed in the neck after two masked gunmen opened fire late Thursday on the grounds of a New York City Housing Authority complex in Brooklyn, police said.
The shooting occurred about 11:50 p.m. at NYCHA’s Armstrong II Houses on Lexington Avenue near Tompkins Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, according to New York City police. Both victims were transported to Kings County Hospital Center, where the man, identified by authorities as Shyhemm Lee, died of his injuries. The woman was listed in stable condition.
NYPD officials said two suspects wearing masks opened fire on the housing-complex grounds and fled on foot. As of Friday morning, no arrests had been reported and investigators were working to determine whether the victims were targeted.
The incident prompted an increased police presence in the vicinity as detectives canvassed for witnesses and reviewed available surveillance footage, the department said. The 79th Precinct, which covers Bedford-Stuyvesant, reported 14 shootings with 16 victims through the most recent NYPD data posted Sunday — a total unchanged from the same period last year — while homicides in the precinct rose to seven, up from five over the comparable span in 2024.
Local public housing developments have been the focus of municipal and community concern about safety, and shootings in NYCHA properties frequently draw attention from city and housing officials. Police said their investigation into Thursday’s attack remains active and urged anyone with information to contact detectives or Crime Stoppers.
The NYCHA development where the shooting occurred is located in a densely populated residential area of central Brooklyn. Bedford-Stuyvesant residents and community leaders have in recent years pressed for expanded resources for neighborhood policing and anti-violence programs, and city officials have cited public safety in NYCHA developments as a continuing challenge.
Thursday’s shooting is among several violent incidents in the precinct this year that city authorities say they are addressing through patrol adjustments and community outreach. The NYPD did not provide additional details on descriptions of the suspects beyond their masks or on any recovered evidence.
Members of the public with information about the shooting were asked to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers tip line. The department has urged that calls can be made anonymously and that tips may also be submitted online.
This story will be updated as police release further information.