CNN
—
A shooting at the Shirley, N.Y., property of Rep. Lee Zeldin left two people injured Sunday, the congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate said in a statement. Zeldin’s family was not injured.
“My 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at home doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just left the Bronx’s Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park.” , said Zeldin.
The two individuals who were shot were lying under the family’s porch and in bushes in front of the porch, Zeldin said.
“After my daughters heard the gunshots and screams, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911. They acted very quickly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are very proud of them.”
Suffolk County police said the shooting has no connection to the Zeldin family. A police spokesman said the two people injured in the incident have been taken to area hospitals for treatment.
A police source told CNN the two men were walking down the street on the congressman’s block when a car pulled up and opened fire. The two men ran to Zeldin’s house as the car sped away, the source said. Both men are expected to survive their injuries, the source added.
Zeldin said police investigators came to his home and were provided security footage from cameras in the family’s home. He said he did not know the identity of the two people.
“My daughters are shaken, but good,” she said. “Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally arrived at our front door. My family is grateful to everyone who has reached out and we will provide another update when we can.”
Zeldin has made criticism of rising crime a central issue in his gubernatorial campaign against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. He was attacked by a man holding a sharp object during the campaign in July.
Hochul tweeted Sunday evening that she had been informed of the shooting.
“While we await further details, I am relieved to know that the Zeldin family is safe and grateful for the quick response of law enforcement,” she wrote.
