Man shot to death St Johns and Troy, July 24, 2012

Dear S.O.S. Supporter,

We are saddened to inform you that on Tuesday, July 24th, there was a shooting in the S.O.S. catchment area at the corner of Schenectady Ave and St. Johns Place. Two victims were shot. One of the victims has died.

Please join S.O.S. to respond to this violence. We will gather today, July 25, at 6 PM at the site of the shooting (Schenectady Ave. and St Johns Pl.).

We respond to every shooting that occurs in the S.O.S. target area to ensure that these tragedies do not pass unremarked as though they are normal and acceptable. We create a safe space on our streets, at the site of the shooting, where neighborhood residents can raise their voices in protest.

Stop Shooting. Start Living.

- S.O.S. Crown Heights

AW-

Sometimes they publish the person's last legal address, which could be years old.

...the address on DMV records.

...the address he filed his taxes with.

...the address he used when he was last arrested.

...etc.

Whereas most media sources edit the police press releases, Save Brooklyn Now is a website that runs the press releases in unedited, "just the facts", form:

Two Shot, One Dead, on St. Johns Place (77th Precinct)

On Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at approximately 1934 hours police responded to a call of a male shot at 1324 St Johns Place, within the confines of the 77 Precinct. Upon arrival, officers determined that there were two males with gunshot wounds to the body. Victim #1, a M/B/24, was shot in the right leg and removed by EMS to Kings County Hospital in stable condition. Victim #2, a M/B/25, was shot in the torso and removed by EMS to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced DOA. The investigation is ongoing.

Victim #2:

Thomas Martin, M/B/25

902 Drew Street

http://savebrooklynnow.blogspot.com/

It is often interesting to see how other media sources then build on this info with a few extra details; DNA.info added his arrest record.

yup.

CrownHeights.info adds that the surviving victim is not cooperating with police:

CHinfo wrote: 25-year-old Martin Thomas was shot and killed in Crown Heights last night. The shooting took place on St. Johns Place near Schenectady Ave. shortly after 7:30pm. Another victim, a 24-year-old man, was shot in the right leg.

Both men were taken to Kings County Hospital, where Thomas died. The other victim, whose identity was not released, was stable. Sources say he is not cooperating with police in their investigation.

It was unclear what sparked the shooting, and no arrests have been made.

Thomas has had run-ins with the law before. He had been arrested 18 times since 2000, police said, for charges like robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and trespassing.

http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=45716

...making me suspect that the shooter is known to the guy in the hospital, and was known to Mr. Thomas.

Hopefully there won't be.

A lot of the work that SOS Crown Heights does is about preventing retaliation.

The staff will try to meet with the wounded at the hospital, as well as the group of guys who "operate" on St. Johns between Troy and Schenectady.

...folks usually know their opponent in these scenarios.

I hope you are wrong, but fear you are right.

SOS CH stresses that it does not share information with the police, and isn't interested in "solving the shooting, as much as it is in preventing the next one" but these facts are sometimes not enough to get people to think things thru.

P.S. In case there is confusion: I am merely a supporter of SOS CH, not an employee. I do not speak on behalf of the organization.