NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION FIRST-PLACE AWARD FOR GENERAL EXCELLENCE , 2016
Vol . 29 , No 7 FEBRUARY 15 - 21 , 2017 3 3 ONE DOLLAR
MID
HUDSON
TIMES
Coach suspended
Page 36
Piano & violin
Page 14
SERVING NEWBURGH AND NEW WINDSOR
Broken hearts
One person dead in Valentine party shooting
City manager : Ongoing gun violence ‘ unacceptable ’
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
Bob McCormick
A 24-year-old man was fatally shot at a Valentine ’ s Day party at 253 South William Street on Sunday morning .
By SHANTAL RILEY sriley @ tcnewspapers . com
A Valentine ’ s Day party ended in the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old City of Newburgh man over the weekend . Police are ruling it a homicide .
The shooting took place during the early morning hours Sunday at 253 South William Street , home of the Temple of Praise Church of God . Four people were wounded . One of the victims , Gevontay Owens-Grant , was pronounced dead at St . Luke ’ s Cornwall Hospital .
The three other victims are expected to survive , said city police Lieutenant Richard Carrion . Police provided no additional information about the shooting on Monday .
The City of Newburgh Police Department , New York State Police Major Crimes Unit and the Orange County District Attorney ’ s Office are investigating .
Police reported another shooting , near the corner of Liberty Street and Henry Avenue , on Monday . Police could not immediately determine if this nonfatal shooting had any connection to the fatal party shooting .
Gevontay Owens-Grant
Sunday ’ s shooting is eerily similar to a fatal shooting incident that took place at a late-night Halloween party on Oct . 30 . Two young women were killed and five others were injured . Many of the partygoers were teenagers .
The 17-year-old shooter , Nija Johnson , fled to Richmond , Virginia . Johnson was arrested on Nov . 4 , brought back to New York and charged with two counts of second-degree murder .
Sunday ’ s fatal shooting is the first to occur in the City of Newburgh this year .
New York State Crime Stoppers is offering a $ 2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter . Call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-866-313-8477 ( TIPS ).
Anyone with information is also urged to contact the City of Newburgh Police Department at 845-561-3131 - or leave a message on the Police Tips Hotline at 845-569-7555 . All calls may remain anonymous .
City leaders tried to reassure residents they were working to ensure safety after the shooting death of a 24-year-old man over the weekend . It is the second , recent , late-night party shooting , taking the lives of three young adults , in as many months .
“ Her last words to you were , ‘ What are you going to do to make us feel safe ?’” said Jeanette Drake , the mother of 20-year-old Tabitha Cruz , killed at a Halloween party shooting on Oct . 30 .
Little more than three months after that tragedy , another young person is dead in the City of Newburgh . Gevontay Owens-Grant was shot during the early morning hours Sunday at a Valentine ’ s Day party on South William Street . Three others were wounded .
Drake addressed city leaders at City Hall on Monday night , pleading with them to make the violence stop . “ Every time someone is murdered , I relive it ,” said Melonie Zachary , who lost two sons to drive-by shootings . “ These kids … they need help ,” she said , crying .
“ I ’ m sorry this has happened to many of you in the community ,” said City Manager Michael Ciaravino , speaking directly to the audience Monday . “ We do not accept us ,” said Ciaravino . “ This is not acceptable in a civilized society .”
Ciaravino explained the city was very close to having a new ShotSpotter system
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