Crime
25-year-old Denzel Chan shot and killed during West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn
The shooting also injured four others, including a 69-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy.
A 25-year-old man, Denzel Chan from Texas, was fatally shot during the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.
Chan was struck in the abdomen around 2:30 p.m. near Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway. The shooting also injured four others, including a 69-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy.
Gunshots were heard near Eastern Parkway and Franklin Avenue at approximately 2:42 p.m., prompting a police response. Three males were found to have been shot and were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
Additional police units were deployed to manage the crowd and assist in the investigation.
Authorities are searching for a male suspect described as wearing a black bandana and an oil-stained brown shirt.
The suspect was last seen heading westbound on Eastern Parkway towards Classon Avenue.
Officers are working to establish a crime scene near the parade route and have determined that no additional units are needed at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and police continue their search for the suspect.
Crime
Security guard Yahaira Melendez charged with murder after shooting inside IHOP restaurant in Center City Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA — A security guard has been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a Center City IHOP over the weekend that left a 43-year-old man dead.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday at the IHOP located in the 1300 block of Walnut Street, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
When officers arrived, they discovered a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim, who police say was unhoused, was transported to Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Investigators report that the victim had been causing a disturbance inside the restaurant prior to the shooting. As security personnel escorted him outside, he allegedly turned and spat on one of the guards.
That guard, identified as 38-year-old Yahaira Melendez, allegedly responded by drawing her firearm and shooting the victim once in the head.
Police say preliminary findings indicate the victim was not armed at the time of the incident.
Melendez, a mother of three, was taken into custody and has been charged with murder and related offenses.
In a statement Melendez’s family expressed shock and disbelief over the situation, writing in part:
“We are shocked and devastated by the tragic events that occurred at the IHOP while she was working security. We know she would never harm anyone unless she felt she had no other choice to protect herself or others.”
The shooting has left nearby workers and residents shaken.
“Escalation — where was the escalation?” asked Karr Anderson, who works next door to the restaurant. “Security guards need to know how to withhold, how to show restraint.”
Philadelphia Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether proper security protocols were followed and what led to the use of deadly force.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased pending family notification.