Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that an 18-year-old Brooklyn man has been arraigned on an indictment in which he is charged with attempted murder and attempted assault for allegedly shooting a 5-year-old girl in the head as she played with her siblings on a sidewalk in East New York.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant allegedly opened fire multiple times in broad daylight without any concern for the lives he was putting in danger. It is very fortunate that this young victim did not lose her life and that none of her siblings were hurt. We will never tolerate such reckless gun violence in Brooklyn that far too often jeopardizes the lives of innocent bystanders and will now work to bring this defendant to justice.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Omar Gelin, 18, of East New York, Brooklyn. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew Sciarrino on an indictment in which he is charged with second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree attempted assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. The defendant was released on $100,000 bail and ordered to return to court on July 27, 2021. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on April 5, 2021, at about 5:45 p.m., the defendant allegedly opened fire at least six times at an unknown man walking on the sidewalk near Dumont and Montauk Avenues. The shots fired missed their intended target, striking a 5-year-old girl as she played with her siblings on the sidewalk moments after leaving her mother’s car.
Shortly after the shots were fired, the victim expressed pain and her mother observed bleeding from a cut on her head. The victim was treated for a graze wound to the right side of her head at Brookdale Hospital.
Police officers from the New York City Police Department’s 75th Precinct recovered video surveillance footage that allegedly shows the defendant getting out of a silver Nissan Versa, removing a gun from the trunk of the car and firing multiple rounds at an unknown individual on the sidewalk. Video surveillance also allegedly captured the defendant place a firearm back in the trunk of the car, enter the driver’s seat and drive away.
According to the evidence, the Nissan Versa the defendant was allegedly seen driving belongs to the defendant’s father.
Following the incident, the defendant fled to South Carolina and was arrested by police officers assigned to the 75th Precinct on April 28, 2021.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Evan Hannay of the District Attorney’s Red Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Karla Watson, Bureau Chief.