An occupied home in Poughkeepsie was struck by gunfire this week just steps from a preschool, and police say they still have not identified a suspect. Officers responding near Edgar Street and Fox Terrace on September 15 found numerous shell casings scattered at the scene, but no one was hit.
The shooting happened close to the Smith School Early Learning Center, according to DailyVoice.com, which first reported that police discovered the occupied home had been hit by gunfire during their response. Officers have not disclosed how many shots were fired or how many people were inside the home at the time, and investigators have not named any suspects as the investigation continues.
What Investigators Have Not Said
Beyond confirming the shell casings and the lack of injuries, police have kept many of the specifics of the September 15 incident under wraps. The outlet's report notes that the case remains open, with no arrests announced and no public timeline for when answers might come. The City of Poughkeepsie Police Department is asking anyone with information to call its confidential tip line at 845-451-7577.
The incident adds to a long list of gunfire cases that have rattled the small Hudson Valley city over the years. In 2018, Poughkeepsie police were investigating four shootings within an eight-day span that left six people injured, according to Spectrum News. That stretch included a shooting near Edgar Street on October 28 in which a 30-year-old victim was later found after being involved in a car accident on the way to the hospital, as well as a Halloween incident on Catharine Street where a 34-year-old man was shot inside his car before a backpack holding thousands of dollars in cash was stolen. A separate shooting at Mansion Street and Winnikee Avenue on November 1 left three victims with minor injuries, per the same outlet.
A City Grappling With Gun Violence
Poughkeepsie's struggle with shootings has continued in the years since. The city recorded four fatal shootings in 2022, tying 2020 for the highest total since 2013, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. Police Chief Thomas Pape said at the time that the level of gun violence was something the department had not seen in decades, attributing it to a mix of factors including access to guns, ghost guns, trafficked weapons and retaliatory shootings.
In response, city officials said they would increase uniform and non-uniform patrols in hot-spot areas identified through crime analysis, with help from state police and the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office. The Journal also reported that license plate readers were installed at 10 city locations and that street cameras were enhanced to support violent-crime investigations. That same year, officers responding to reported gunshots at College Hill Park during an adult softball game found numerous shell casings but no injuries, echoing this week's outcome near Edgar Street and Fox Terrace.
Other Recent Cases Show Mixed Outcomes
Not every Poughkeepsie shooting has ended without casualties. A shooting at Stitzel Field on Lincoln Avenue left one person dead and another injured, according to News10. Police identified the fatality as 46-year-old Carl Chambers of Marlboro, who was taken by car to the hospital and later pronounced dead, and said several people had exchanged gunfire using three different weapons, including one reported to be a high-powered rifle.
Other shots-fired investigations in the city have led to arrests. News 12 Hudson Valley reported that police arrested 20-year-old Amir Thigpen after identifying him as a suspect in a separate shots-fired case, charging him with criminal possession of a firearm after recovering a loaded .45-caliber handgun. No such arrest has been announced in connection with the September 15 shooting near Edgar Street and Fox Terrace, and police have not said whether it is linked to any earlier case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the confidential tip line noted above as the investigation continues.
