Police are actively searching for a gunman responsible for a shooting on a Brooklyn street Wednesday afternoon. The incident nearly resulted in the death of a developmentally delayed woman and left her family’s cherished dog wounded by a bullet.
According to authorities, the shooter brazenly fired a gun in broad daylight at an unidentified man. However, he missed his intended target and struck a dog instead. The bullet was later removed from the animal.
The incident was recounted by the nephew of Teresa Pezzolla, 64, who was walking her dog when the shooting occurred. He told The Post, “My aunt Teresa was walking the dog up to 5th Avenue.”
“She regularly walks the dog, and as she went around the block, a person suddenly appeared, opened fire on someone else, and hit the dog instead of the intended target,” he explained.
The NYPD reported that the reckless shooting occurred around 5:46 p.m. in front of 218 31st Street in Greenwood Heights.
Pezzolla’s nephew expressed relief that the bullet did not hit his aunt, stating, “I’m thankful that the bullet didn’t hit my aunt because it would have been a lot worse.”
The gunman’s intended target was unharmed, but the stray bullet struck a seven-year-old Labradoodle named Honey.
After the incident, Pezzolla, who is developmentally delayed, returned home with the injured dog. Her sister immediately called a cab to take the dog to an emergency vet.
“My mother called in a cab right away, got the dog to an emergency room, and the doctors were able to remove a .22 caliber bullet from the dog,” explained Pezzolla’s nephew.
Upon returning home, he asked Pezzolla to show him where the shooting happened.
“I walked my aunt outside and told her to show me exactly where this happened. Two police officers followed us, and she was able to point out the exact location,” he said.
Police officers who arrived at the scene inquired about the situation.
“While looking around 5th Avenue, two cops approached and asked what was happening. I informed them, and that’s when they took action,” he recounted.
Authorities managed to secure surveillance footage from nearby cameras.
Pezzolla’s nephew, who has lived in the neighborhood since childhood, noted, “This is the first time anything like this has ever happened, a shooting in the area.”
He added, “My aunt is very shaken up.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.
