Shooting outside NY GOP gubernatorial candidate Rep. Zeldin’s home injures 2; family unhurt
A shooting outside Rep. Lee Zeldin's home in New York injures 2. Zeldin's family was unhurt. Zeldin here prepares to participate in New York's Republican gubernatorial debate on June 13.
By Greg Clary and Isa Kaufman Geballe, CNN
A shooting on the Shirley, New York, property of Rep. Lee Zeldin on Sunday left two injured, the congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate said in a statement. Zeldin’s family was unhurt.
“My 16 year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at our house doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park,” Zeldin said.
The two individuals who were shot had been laying down under the family’s front porch and in the bushes in front of the porch, Zeldin said.
“After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911. They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them.”
Suffolk County Police said the shooting has no connection to the Zeldin family. A police spokesperson said the two people injured in the incident have been transported to area hospitals for treatment.
A law enforcement source told CNN that the two men were walking down the street on the congressman’s block when a car pulled up and opened fire. The two men then ran toward Zeldin’s home as the car sped away, the source said. Both men are expected to survive their injuries the source added.
Zeldin said police investigators came to his home, and security footage was provided from the family’s home cameras. He said he did not know the identities of the two people.
“My daughters are shaken, but ok,” he said. “Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door. My family is grateful to all who have reached out and we will provide another update when we can.”
Zeldin has made criticism of rising crime a central theme in his gubernatorial campaign against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. He was attacked by a man holding a sharp object on the campaign trail in July.
Hochul tweeted Sunday evening that she had been briefed on the shooting.
“As we await more details, I’m relieved to hear the Zeldin family is safe and grateful for law enforcement’s quick response,” she wrote.
The-CNN-Wire
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John Miller and Manu Raju contributed to this report.
