BROOKLYN — A Bed-Stuy teen accused of wounding a toddler when he opened fire on a rival during an argument in Brownsville is facing 25 years in prison for the shooting, according to prosecutors.
Lyemel Summerville, 19, was indicted in Brooklyn Supreme Court Friday on charges of attempted murder and assault for the Aug. 19 attack, in which he shot a man and grazed the 2-year-old boy, according to acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
The fight took place at about 5:15 p.m. near the Sutter Avenue L station at Junius Street, when Summerville got into an argument with his 20-year-old foe, prosecutors said. He pulled out a .25-caliber handgun and shot the man in the thigh, with the bullet hitting the man’s leg and grazing the knee of the toddler, who was sitting in a stroller next to him, according to Gonzalez.
The adult victim was hospitalized for several days for his gunshot wound, and paramedics brought the baby to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and released, prosecutors said.
“This defendant had the audacity to allegedly open fire during rush hour in the middle of a busy street. As is the case all too often, he also struck an innocent bystander — a young baby who thankfully survived,” Gonzalez said. “We will never accept such cases of gun violence in Brooklyn and will prosecute them vigorously.”
The shooting sparked a manhunt for Summerville, who police identified about two weeks later when they sent out his mugshot to the public. He was arrested three days later on Sept. 2, Gonzalez said.
A judge ordered Summerville held on $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash bail, and he is due back in court Nov. 20, records show.
Contact information for Summerville’s attorney was not immediately available.
