The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is asking for the public’s help as investigators continue searching for the second man involved in the shooting that killed 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore in Brooklyn on Wednesday, April 1. The infant was sitting in a stroller near Moore Street and Humboldt Street in Williamsburg when two men on a moped rode past, and gunfire erupted. Police say Kaori was struck in the head and later pronounced dead at Woodhull Hospital. Authorities believe she was not the intended target.
According to NBC News, investigators say the shooting happened shortly after 1:15 p.m. when the passenger riding on the back of the moped pulled out a handgun and fired at least two shots toward a group gathered on the corner.
According to police, several adults, children, and two strollers were nearby when the shots were fired. Kaori’s mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, ran into a nearby deli with her children after hearing what she initially believed were fireworks.
It was only after reaching the store that she realized her daughter had been hit.
Kaori’s father then rushed the baby to the hospital. Kaori’s 2-year-old brother was reportedly grazed during the shooting but survived.
Police believe the shooting was gang-related and say the baby was caught in the middle of an attack aimed at someone else. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said surveillance footage shows the gunman firing from the rear of the moped while traveling the wrong way down the street.
“The male sitting at the rear of the moped can be seen taking out a gun and discharging at least two rounds,” Tisch said, noting that the suspects fired toward an area crowded with families and children.
Authorities have not publicly identified an intended target, but detectives are examining whether someone on the corner was being singled out.
After the shooting, the two suspects sped away on the moped before crashing into an oncoming car near Manhattan Avenue and Siegel Street. Video reviewed by police shows both men being thrown from the vehicle.
The passenger landed so hard that, according to Tisch, he lost both of his shoes.
Despite the crash, the pair managed to get back onto the moped and continue fleeing. One of the men later turned up at a hospital seeking treatment for injuries and was taken into custody on unrelated charges.
Police identified him as Amari Green, though no charges connected to Kaori’s death had been filed as of this writing. Detectives say Green is believed to be the shooter.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the killing “a devastating reminder” of the city’s ongoing struggle with gun violence. “A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant,” Mamdani said during a news conference.
The second suspect, believed to have been driving the moped, remains at large. Police describe him as a young man last seen wearing light gray pants, a white T-shirt, and a black mask covering part of his face.
The Crime Stoppers tip line is accepting information as the search continues, and community leaders have announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
