Early Thursday in University Heights, a 23-year-old woman was shot in the face near a neighborhood playground and later died at the hospital. Police said officers responded just after midnight and found the woman with a gunshot wound to her left eye. She was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, and detectives have opened a homicide investigation with no immediate arrests reported.
Police have identified the victim as 23-year-old Reyna Caceres and said the shooting unfolded in front of a playground at 2158 Aqueduct Avenue, according to News 12 New York. The outlet reports officers arrived just after 12 a.m. and EMS transported Caceres to St. Barnabas, where she was pronounced dead. The NYPD says the investigation is ongoing.
Police appeal for tips
Detectives say they are canvassing the block and pulling nearby surveillance video as part of the active homicide probe. Anyone with information or footage is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip at CrimeStoppers.nypdonline.org. Police have not released details about a suspect or a possible motive.
Playgrounds under scrutiny
The fatal shooting comes on the heels of other recent gunfire in Bronx play spaces, including an incident last Sunday at Bathgate Playground in which police say two men fired rounds inside the park and then took off in a sedan. That nonfatal episode was reported in gunfire at Bathgate Playground, and it has amplified neighborhood concern even as the NYPD has reported year-to-date declines in shooting incidents citywide, per the NYPD. The department has credited targeted enforcement and violence-reduction strategies for the drop.
What’s next
Investigators say the case remains active and will be forwarded to the Bronx district attorney’s office if charges are filed. Neighbors with information or video are urged to contact Crime Stoppers or dial 911 with immediate tips.
