A New York City police officer “came within inches of losing his life” when he was struck in the face with birdshot after a suspect opened fire with a shotgun Monday in Brooklyn, police said.
The officer was rushed to Brookdale Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, identified by police as 24-year-old Dashawn Anthony Larode, is dead.
Two other officers and a civilian were also injured in a crash as police responded to the scene.
The incident began just before 6 a.m. when EMS responded to reports of an unconscious man in front of Thomas S. Boyland Street between Hegeman Avenue and Linden Boulevard in the Brownsville neighborhood. The EMTs found Leroy Wallace, 41, fatally shot at the scene and called police,
according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
A shotgun shell was found in a vestibule of the building. Police said they believed Wallace was shot in the vestibule and stumbled outside before collapsing to the ground.
“I just heard a boom, oh snap, someone shooting, so I laid back down on my bed,” neighbor Hakeem Muhamad said.
“Dead body outside of my apartment building,” neighbor Ahmad Baqir said.
At around 7:45 a.m., the suspect opened the door to his first-floor apartment and fired a shotgun at one of the officers at the scene, “striking the officer on the left side of his face,” Tisch said. “His injuries are consistent with birdshot pellets being fired from a shotgun.”
Officer Sharjeel Waris, 25, returned fire, and the suspect then barricaded himself inside his apartment.
Waris was rushed to the hospital in stable condition.
“We believe the suspect was shot by the injured officer, who returned fire once he was shot in the face,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
Two other officers rushing to the scene after the report of the officer being shot were involved in a crash at New Lots Avenue and Thomas Boylan Street, Tisch said. Those officers and the driver of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital, as well, with minor injuries and are in stable condition.
Members of the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit then responded to the scene. They smashed a window to the apartment where Larode was located and flew a drone inside to look around.
“Camera footage showed a man lying motionless on the kitchen floor with a shotgun lying near him,” Tisch said.
When officers entered the apartment, the suspect was found dead.
“Today is another reminder of what’s at stake when your NYPD officers come to work. They never know what will be on the other side of that door, but whatever it is, they face it with an uncommon valor that defines this department,” Tisch said.
Tisch said that Waris is a four-year veteran of the force and was in good spirits after the shooting.
“But make no mistake, this could’ve ended very differently. What happened this morning is a reminder of how quickly danger finds the men and women that protect this city. They stood their ground, they did their jobs, they kept people safe, and once again they reminded us all what it means to put on that uniform,” Tisch said.
“He came within inches of losing his life, but because of his skill and his composure, he’s in that hospital room right now, upbeat,” PBA president Patrick Hendry said.
Police officials said it appears the initial shooting that left Wallace dead may have been the result of an ongoing dispute between neighbors, since both Wallace and the suspect lived in the building. However, some neighbors who knew both men said they didn’t witness any animosity in the past.
Wallace’s wife told CBS News New York her husband was a hardworking, quiet man.
Larode was a military veteran and had no prior arrest record, police said.
Happily, Waris was released from the hospital a short time later. He smiled and waved as fellow officers applauded as he was wheeled out of the hospital.
The NYPD’s crime statistics show shooting incidents are down this year compared to the same time last year. Still, people in the community say they want to see an end to all the gun violence.
“As a community, we have to do better,” one person said.
“It’s scary. We are living in a dangerous world right now,” said another.
“Praying for the full recovery of the officer shot and injured in Brooklyn this morning. We’re closely monitoring the situation,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
“My thoughts are with the NYPD officer who was shot this morning in Brownsville and I am praying for his recovery. I’m grateful to law enforcement for their quick response and I will continue to monitor the situation as it develops,” Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani wrote on social media.
The investigation continues.
BROWNSVILLE, Brooklyn (WABC) — A suspect and neighbor were both killed and a responding NYPD officer was shot in the face — apparently all the result of a dispute between the neighbors.
The 25-year-old wounded officer was released from the hospital Monday afternoon hours after he was struck when a gunman opened fire from inside an apartment building in Brownsville.
The NYPD says the suspect killed a man during a dispute and when police came to investigate, he opened fire on the officer.
It happened on Thomas S Boyland Street just before 6 a.m. Monday.
Police were called to the apartment building and found 41-year-old Leroy Wallace dead from a gunshot wound to his chest.
At 7:45 a.m. officers approached a first floor apartment where the suspect opened the door and fired at officers. Officer Sharjeel Worris was shot with birdshot pellets from a shotgun.
Officers returned fire, striking the suspect.
Worris was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital in the back of a police cruiser, just blocks away from the shooting scene.
He was able to talk to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch who said the officer was in “good spirits” at the hospital.
“He came within inches of losing his life,” said Patrick Hendry, NYC PBA President.
Worris was released from the hospital at noon to the applause of his fellow officers.
Officials have not yet identified the suspect but say he had no prior criminal history.
The building’s super said the men both lived in the building for a couple of years. He said he never had any issues with them and wasn’t aware of any conflict between them.
“Make no mistake, this could’ve ended very differently, what happened this morning is a reminder how quickly danger finds the men and women who protect this city,” Tisch said.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani commented on the shooting on social media:
Two other police officers were treated for injuries after they got into a crash near the scene. They are expected to recover.
Washington, D.C. — For decades, Democrats relied on a well-known path to the White House: secure large victories in California, New York, and Illinois, combine them with key wins in the Midwest, and they’d be well on their way to 270 electoral votes.
But new population trends and redistricting changes suggest that strategy may not work much longer. By 2032, analysts warn, Democrats could face a shrinking map and far fewer routes to victory, while Republicans stand to benefit from demographic shifts and reapportionment after the 2030 Census.
Changing Population Patterns
Recent research highlights a major trend: Americans are leaving high-tax, heavily regulated states like California, New York, and Illinois in significant numbers. Many are moving to Texas, Florida, Arizona, and the Carolinas, states that lean Republican or have Republican-controlled legislatures.
Because congressional seats — and therefore electoral votes — are tied to population size, this migration has serious political consequences. By the next Census:
Each new congressional seat brings another electoral vote, effectively shifting political power southward and westward — away from Democratic strongholds.
The Shrinking Democratic Map
At present, Democrats have multiple paths to 270 electoral votes. But if the projections hold, by 2032 their options may narrow significantly.
Even if Democrats maintain their so-called “blue wall” of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania — a trio of battleground states critical to President Biden’s 2020 win — it might not be enough. Analysts note that Democrats would likely also need to secure smaller swing states such as Nevada, New Hampshire, and Arizona to keep their majority. Losing even one of those could tip the balance toward the GOP.
Republican Advantages
Republicans, meanwhile, could see their position strengthened. The party already has a solid grip on much of the South and Sun Belt, regions experiencing robust population growth. That gives them a wider margin for error — even if they lose a battleground or two, they may still have multiple paths to the White House.
Redistricting battles also play into this advantage. Republican-led legislatures in Texas and Florida are expected to draw maps that reinforce their party’s dominance. While Democrats are fighting hard to hold their ground, the long-term population trend appears to favor the GOP.
Legal and Political Battles Ahead
Redistricting is often followed by legal challenges, and both parties are gearing up for courtroom fights over how lines are drawn. In California, officials even called a special election to adjust maps — a move that underscores the urgency Democrats feel as their influence risks slipping.
Still, analysts point out that no legal ruling can change the basic math of population growth. As people continue to leave Democratic strongholds and resettle in Republican-leaning states, the electoral college will tilt accordingly.
What It Means for 2032 and Beyond
If projections hold, the Republican Party may enter the 2030s with an electoral advantage baked into the system. Democrats would be forced to defend a shrinking map, making every swing state even more critical.
For Republicans, the trend suggests that long-term strategy may require fewer shifts — population growth and reapportionment are already doing some of the work. For Democrats, however, the challenge will be to expand their appeal in the South and Sun Belt, or risk being boxed out of the presidency for years to come.