A 14-year-old boy was arrested after allegedly shooting a 17-year-old multiple times during a street brawl involving five teens Thursday afternoon in Patchogue — a shooting that police say was not connected to the increased police presence, including rooftop snipers, at the Alive After Five street festival that kicked off a half-hour after the shooting.
The victim was taken to a nearby hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, Suffolk County Police said. The suspect, who police believe accidentally shot himself in the hand during the altercation, was treated and released from a hospital before being charged as a juvenile offender.
The shooting went down about 4:30 p.m. on Edwards Street near Rider Avenue, less than a half-mile from where thousands would soon gather for the first Alive After Five of the season on Main Street. A 9-millimeter handgun was recovered near the scene.
Planned police patrol
The 14-year-old was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The boy is scheduled to appear in First District Court in Central Islip on Friday.
Despite the proximity in both time and location, Suffolk police told Greater Long Island that the shooting was unrelated to the visible law enforcement deployment in the downtown area, including tactical officers positioned on rooftops.
Police officials on Thursday said the sniper presence was a pre-planned part of heightened security for large-scale public events and not in response to any particular threat. Still, several festivalgoers noted the law enforcement activity and wondered if it had anything to do with the shooting.
Reached Thursday evening, Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri was unaware of the beefed up police presence at the event.
Alive After Five proceeded as scheduled, from 5-9 p.m. The free summer street festival draws thousands to downtown Patchogue with live music, food, drinks and vendors.
Organized by the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, the event takes over Main Street on select Thursday evenings across the summer.
Prior coverage
Top photos: Suffolk police officers with sniper rifles had a visible presence at Thursday’s Alive After Five event in Patchogue. Below, Police vehicles line Edwards Street Thursday afternoon after the teen shooting in Patchogue. The event started about a half-hour after the shooting (GLI photos).
