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3 shootings in Amsterdam since May 25 are being investigated | News

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No charges have been filed in connection with any of the incidents. All of the incidents remain under investigation, Lt. Joseph Spencer said Monday. All of the incidents involved handguns.

A man under the age of 25 was allegedly shot during a physical altercation between four or more people on Elizabeth Street at around 3 a.m. on May 25.

The victim reported the incident to police after returning to his nearby home. He was taken by private vehicle to St. Mary’s Hospital and then transferred to Albany Medical Center, where he was treated and later released with non-life-threatening injuries, Spencer said.

Only one shot is said to have been fired during the incident. No further injuries were reported.

The incident apparently followed an argument between people who “live near each other” and are “commonly known,” Spencer said.

A survey of the neighborhood was conducted and interviews were also conducted with the victim and the people who were with him when he returned home.

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About a month later, Spencer said the complex case was still the subject of an active investigation by detectives who had identified about 50 people involved in the case or with knowledge of the incident.

“This is as far as we’ve come so far. It’s a serious offense, we have someone who was injured, so we’re going to do whatever it takes to complete this investigation,” Spencer said. “Criminal use of a firearm is a serious offense and hopefully we’ll see this through to an arrest and successful prosecution.”

Although no firearms have been found so far, Spencer said there is no danger to the public or cause for concern among residents. He said police have been active in the area following the alleged shooting.

Spencer said that the fact that details of the incident were not previously disclosed is not unusual. The city police usually issue press releases when an arrest is made or when they ask the public for help.

“An investigation is very complex. Sometimes it is to our advantage to minimize the details relevant to the investigation. However, when I receive a request, I also have an obligation to be transparent when something happens,” Spencer said.

Less than two weeks after that incident, Spencer said, another physical altercation between more than five people escalated to the point of firearms being used on Van Derveer Street around 10:30 p.m. on June 5.

Two shots were reportedly fired. No one was hit and there were no reports of related property damage, Spencer said.

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The people involved are said to have known each other before. One person who suffered superficial injuries during the altercation refused medical treatment when questioned by the police. No other injuries were reported.

Another suspected gunfire incident occurred this weekend when police received several calls reporting shots fired on Lincoln Avenue around 10 p.m. Saturday, Spencer said.

When police arrived, no one was nearby, but shell casings were found at the scene. No injuries or property damage were reported.

“We are still trying to determine what role people played in this incident, but at this time no one has come forward who could be a victim in this case,” Spencer said.

Investigators worked quickly at the scene as a thunderstorm with heavy rain and strong winds occurred immediately after the incident. Police then searched the area.

“The criminal use of a firearm represents a reckless endangerment of the community and we will treat it the same as our other shootings. We can charge the perpetrator,” Spencer said.

Both shootings remain under investigation.

When asked, Spencer said he did not believe the three incidents within a month were an indication of an increase in gun crime in the city.

“Obviously crime goes up in the summer and we see cases like this every year and we continue to work on them as best we can. We get a lot of support from the public when we ask for information and we do our very best to hopefully bring these cases to an arrest and successful prosecution,” Spencer said.

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