A 43-year-old man was rushed to a Bronx hospital in critical condition Monday night after being shot in the head, one of three people wounded when gunfire broke out near University and Merriam avenues in Highbridge. A 65-year-old woman was shot in the leg and a 52-year-old woman was grazed in the neck, according to police. All three victims were taken to the hospital, and no arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning.
Police responded to the scene at 1435 University Avenue just before 11 p.m. Monday, as first reported by PIX11. Investigators have not released any other details about the investigation, including a motive or whether the victims were targeted. Police are searching for a suspect, though no description has been made public.
A Building With a Violent History
The address sits within a five-story residential building built in 1917 that contains 17 rental units, according to property records reviewed by StreetEasy. It is not the first time gunfire has struck this stretch of Highbridge. In April 2023, two unidentified gunmen shot a 21-year-old man in the back at 1406 Merriam Avenue, just around the corner, as reported by the Bronx Times.
The shooting also fits a pattern of gun violence that has touched Highbridge repeatedly this summer. In July, a 31-year-old man was shot and injured outside an NYPD facility on Sedgwick Avenue, part of what Hoodline previously reported as a sequence of summer gun incidents in the neighborhood. Late July also brought a separate multi-victim shooting and car chase along University Avenue, and daylight gunfire on 168th Street sent Bronx police hunting for a suspect just weeks earlier.
Precinct Numbers Tell a Local Story
The location falls within the NYPD's 44th Precinct, which patrols 1.97 square miles across Highbridge and the Concourse from its station house at 2 East 169th Street, per the NYPD. As of late July, the precinct had logged 18 shootings for the year, a 28.6% jump over the 14 recorded during the same stretch of 2025. That local increase provides context for the precinct's figures.
The precinct's own multi-year numbers show volatility rather than a steady trend. In 2025, the 44th Precinct logged 29 shooting incidents, a 32.6% decline from 2024, even as overall major crime in the command fell 12.65% to 2,680 reported incidents. Highbridge itself, part of Bronx Community District 4, is also part of broader discussions about neighborhood investment and public safety.
What Happens Next
If a suspect is identified and charged with intentionally causing serious physical injury with a firearm, prosecutors could pursue a first-degree assault charge under New York Penal Law ยง 120.10, a Class B violent felony carrying up to 25 years in state prison. For now, detectives are believed to be canvassing for surveillance footage and tips as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or by text to 274637 using the keyword TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers can reach Crime Stoppers at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips that lead to an arrest and indictment can qualify for a reward of up to $3,500 through the program, which is run in partnership with the New York City Police Foundation.
