A gunman opened fire toward another man on a Brooklyn sidewalk Wednesday evening, missing his apparent target but striking a 7-year-old female dog instead, and he remains at large. The shooting happened at approximately 5:46 p.m. in front of 218 31st Street, in a stretch of Greenwood Heights that borders Sunset Park.
According to NYPD Crimestoppers, the unidentified suspect displayed a firearm and discharged a round toward an unidentified man before the shot struck the dog. The suspect then fled on foot southbound on 5th Avenue toward 36th Street, per the same account. The block sits between 4th and 5th Avenues in Brooklyn Community District 7, according to StreetEasy, placing the shooting squarely in the transition zone between Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park.
The condition of the dog and whether the intended target was struck or even known to the shooter remain unclear, and NYPD Crimestoppers has not released further details on either point. The incident falls within the confines of the 72nd Precinct, which is headquartered at 830 4th Avenue and oversees Greenwood Heights, Sunset Park, South Slope, and Windsor Terrace, according to the NYPD.
What Charges Could the Shooter Face
Discharging a firearm toward a person in public could expose the suspect to Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, a Class D felony under New York Penal Law § 120.25 that carries up to seven years in prison for conduct creating a grave risk of death under circumstances evincing depraved indifference to human life, according to the New York State Senate. If prosecutors determine the evidence does not rise to that level of depraved indifference, the lesser charge of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and fines up to $1,000, remains an option under Penal Law § 120.20.
Striking the dog could add separate exposure under New York's animal cruelty statutes. Unjustifiably injuring an animal is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail under Agriculture and Markets Law § 353, while intentionally causing serious physical injury to a companion animal — aggravated cruelty — is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison under § 353-a, per the New York State Senate. No charges have been filed, since the suspect has not been identified or apprehended.
How to Submit a Tip
NYPD Crimestoppers is asking anyone with information to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or via X at @NYPDTips.
The Crime Stoppers program is administered and funded by the nonprofit New York City Police Foundation, separate from the NYPD's own budget, and offers cash rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest and indictment in violent felony cases, according to the New York City Police Foundation. The foundation separately runs Operation Gun Stop, which offers rewards of up to $1,500 for anonymous tips to 1-866-GUN-STOP that lead to the recovery of illegal firearms and arrests, reflecting the outsized role illegal handguns play in the city's violent gun incidents.
A Rare Incident Amid Falling Shooting Numbers
The shooting comes as citywide gun violence has continued to trend downward through the summer. NYPD CompStat figures through August 16 show citywide shooting incidents down 7.9 percent, 418 compared to 454 during the same period in 2025, with shooting victims down 7.7 percent as well. Borough-level numbers tell a similar story: the New York Daily News reported that summer homicides in Brooklyn fell 37 percent and shooting incidents dropped 16 percent compared to the prior year, with NYPD officials crediting data-driven precision policing for the multi-year decline.
Even so, incidents like Wednesday's shooting can rattle a residential block regardless of borough-wide trends. Residents of Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park who want to raise public safety concerns directly with precinct leadership can attend the 72nd Precinct Community Council's monthly meetings, held at neighborhood venues including the Marien Heim Senior Center on 4th Avenue, according to the KARMABrooklyn Blog. The suspect's identity, motive, and the outcome of the investigation remain unknown as police continue to seek public help.
