NEW YORK CITY — A dispute between rival gangs may have caused a stray bullet to critically injure one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's staffers, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Tuesday.
Carey Gabay, 43, a first deputy general counsel at Empire State Development Corp., was shot in the head on Bedford Avenue, near Montgomery Street, about 3:40 a.m. Monday, police said.
Gabay was at J’Ouvert, the early morning pre-parade festival with friends and family, when he walked past an area where the fight between the gangs erupted. Witnesses described hearing more than a dozen shots.
Bratton said investigators were focusing on two gangs that police are familiar with.
"I'm very confident that we will solve that crime," he told reporters Tuesday.
Gabay is a Harvard-educated attorney who was focused on bettering his community, Cuomo said in a statement.
"Carey is an outstanding public servant," Cuomo said.
In a statement, Gabay's family said that he is fighting for his life.
“Carey has always been an inspiration to all of us and he continues to inspire us with his fight for survival. We are leaning on our faith and asking for continued support during this extremely difficult time," the statement said.
The NYPD and Crime Stoppers are offering a total of $12,500 in reward money for anyone with information about the shooting that leads to an arrest.
