KEY POINTS

  • The shooter was a man dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt
  • The woman was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead later
  • The woman's three-month-old baby was unharmed

New York -- A 20-year-old woman who was pushing her three-month-old baby in a stroller was shot dead Wednesday as gun violence cases across the United States this year exceed 21,000.

The young woman, whose identity was not released, was pushing her baby on Lexington Avenue and East 95th Street when a man, dressed in a black, hooded sweatshirt, walked up behind her before shooting. The woman was shot once in the head at point-blank range around 8:25 p.m. The shooter fled up East 95th street on foot.

The victim was taken to Metropolitan Hospital Center but was pronounced dead about an hour later. Her three-month-old baby was also rushed to the hospital, but was unharmed, according to preliminary investigations.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed the shooting but is yet to release other details as of writing. Authorities are now canvassing the area for surveillance footage, sources with knowledge of the matter told the New York Post.

New York Mayor Eric Adams also confirmed the shooting and vowed that they will find the person responsible for the killing.

"When a mother is pushing a baby carriage down the block and is shot at point blank range, it shows just how this national problem is impacting families," Adams said. "We are going to find this person that is guilty of this horrific crime. We are going to find him and bring him to justice."

The shooting comes a little over a week after a mass shooting in Harlem killed 21-year-old Darius Lee, 21, a college basketball star, and injured eight people. The shooting happened near the intersection of East 139th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Since the beginning of this year, the U.S. has recorded a total of 21,702 deaths caused by gun violence. In comparison, 45,030 deaths were associated with gun violence in 2021, while 43,674 deaths from gun violence were reported in 2020.

The number of injuries caused by mass shootings has also reached 18,537. At least 651 teens aged 12 to 17 and 176 children aged 0 to 11 died in mass shooting incidents, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Discarded bullet shell cases are seen at Master Class Shooting Range in Monroe, New York, U.S., July 30, 2020.
Discarded bullet shell cases are seen at Master Class Shooting Range in Monroe, New York, U.S., July 30, 2020. Reuters / BRENDAN MCDERMID