BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR SHOOTING TWO INNOCENT BYSTANDERS, KILLING ONE WHO WAS USING A WALKER

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for second-degree Murder and related charges in the fatal shooting of a 57-year-old man using a walker and the wounding of a 34-year-old woman as he fired a gun at a group of men in the Fordham section. 

District Attorney Clark said, “This defendant allegedly shot at a group of young men and missed his intended targets. A man was killed, and a woman was shot in this brazen attack while walking down the street.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Brandon Sullivan, 18, of the Bronx, was arraigned today on second-degree Murder, Attempted Murder in the second-degree, first-degree Manslaughter, Attempted Assault in the first-degree, second-degree Assault, and two counts of second-degree Possession of a Weapon before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Gayle Roberts. Remand was continued. He is due back in court on February 26, 2026.

According to the investigation, on May 18, 2025, at approximately 6;45 p.m., on East 188th Street near Webster Avenue in Fordham, Sullivan allegedly fired a 9mm handgun at a group of young men, striking two innocent bystanders. Kevin Jennings, 57, who was walking with the aid of a walker, was shot in the head and a 34-year-old woman was shot in the leg. Both were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital. Jennings later died. Sullivan was arrested on September 17, 2025.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Kyle Keiser of the Bronx Homicide Squad and Detective Richard Garcia of the 46th Precinct for their work on the case. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Preserve New York’s Olympic Legacy and Expand Adirondack Forest Protections

Legislation S.8047/A.3628 Prepares For Implementation of Potential Constitutional Amendment To Sustainably Develop the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex While Adding At Least 2,500 Acres to the Adirondack Forest Preserve

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation (S.8047/A.3628) implementing the potential constitutional amendment authorizing continued use and improvement of the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County. This landmark legislation secures New York’s Olympic legacy by allowing essential upgrades to world-class training facilities, while simultaneously expanding and protecting the Adirondack Park Forest Preserve with the addition of at least 2,500 acres of new public lands.

“New Yorkers will have the opportunity to decide whether to move forward with this important constitutional amendment,” Governor Hochul said. “By signing this legislation, we’re ensuring that if voters approve the measure, the State will be ready to implement it immediately, allowing New York to strengthen its Olympic legacy at Mount Van Hoevenberg while protecting the Adirondack wilderness that defines who we are as New Yorkers.”

Environmental Protection and Balance

If the Constitutional Amendment is passed by the voters, under this new law, the State is authorized to use a limited portion of Forest Preserve lands at the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex for the operation and maintenance of Nordic skiing and biathlon trails and their necessary facilities. To offset this use, the legislation requires the State to acquire at least 2,500 acres of true forest land within the Adirondack Park for inclusion in the Forest Preserve.

Sustainable Legacy for the Adirondacks

The Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex, located in the Town of North Elba, is home to world-class Nordic skiing, biathlon and bobsled facilities. It has hosted Olympic and World Cup events and serves as a year-round training site for athletes from around the world. The legislation, which becomes effective if the amendment to allow Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land also referred to as: Proposal 1 — Use of Mount Van Hoevenberg Sports Complex Land and Acquisition of 2,500 Acres for Adirondack Park Amendment (2025) Proposal 1 is adopted, ensures that all development at the complex will conform to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan and be authorized through a Unit Management Plan under state environmental law.

The legislation would build upon New York’s leadership in protecting the Adirondack Park’s over six million acres of public and private land that form the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. The legislation would only become effective if Proposal 1 is adopted. Information can be found here. 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli: Recent Federal Actions Will Have Significant Impact on Higher Education in NY

Impacts from the recently enacted federal budget law, upcoming appropriations for federal fiscal year 2026 and executive actions since January 2025 risk undermining the strength and competitiveness of New York’s higher education sector and the social and economic benefits it generates, according to a new analysis from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “New York has long benefited from outstanding institutions of higher education that serve as anchors for our communities, employing tens of thousands of people, conducting world-class research and development, attracting new residents, training the workforce and bringing vibrancy to neighborhoods,” DiNapoli said. “Federal action on student aid, international student enrollment, and support for research threatens the ability of these institutions to serve as employers and innovators. It also impacts the ability of students to afford tuition. These threats pose financial challenges to the institutions and economic challenges to communities.” SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, "There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and we are proud of SUNY’s role delivering affordable excellence, serving as an engine of upward mobility, and conducting ground-breaking research that saves lives and makes our nation more secure. This report underscores the importance of the federal government’s historic partnership with America’s higher education institutions as a driver of progress." CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, “CUNY remains deeply concerned about the potential impact of federal actions that are outlined in State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s comprehensive report. Despite these challenges, we are working to support everyone in our community and are grateful to our government partners across New York for supporting and advocating for universities like CUNY during this period of uncertainty.” President, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), Lola W. Brabham said, “New York’s private, not-for-profit colleges and universities are proud partners in advancing educational opportunity, innovation, and workforce development statewide. Recent analyses show that federal changes to student loan availability will limit access for thousands of New Yorkers, particularly first-generation and non-traditional students. Independent sector campuses collectively provide more than $8 billion each year in additional student aid, helping to keep higher education accessible and affordable. We appreciate State Comptroller DiNapoli’s leadership in underscoring this critical issue that threatens thousands of students with restricted access, higher debt burdens and limited educational choices—hampering both individual opportunity and the state’s long-term competitiveness.” Federal executive action has resulted in the termination or pause of a range of federal support including grants, contracts and other types of assistance, affecting research activity at institutions of higher education (IHE) in New York and elsewhere. One example is the cancelling of over 1,800 grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through June 2025. Recent court action has restored only a portion of these grants. Total research and development expenditures by New York IHEs in 2023 were $9.1 billion, second only to California. Provisions in Public Law No: 119-21, enacted in July, will impact college affordability and choice for many students by reducing students’ access to grants, amounts and types of loans, options for loan repayment and potentially, programs of study. Most provisions will become effective as of the 2026-27 academic year, impacting the thousands of New York post-secondary students that take out and pay back federal loans, including graduate students for whom loan options will become more limited. International Students In academic year 2023-24, there were 135,813 international students in New York, second in the nation. There were 22 IHEs in New York out of a total 238 nationwide hosting 1,000 or more international students, 11 of these in New York City. SUNY reports that 5.7% of its total Fall 2024 enrollment was composed of international students, 21,436 total, an increase of 1,118 from the prior year and almost 4,000 from Fall 2020. A range of executive actions have affected international student enrollment in New York and across the country, and may be poised to have a chilling effect on future applications and enrollment. This includes temporarily pausing new interviews of student visa applicants for review of their social media accounts and restricting the entry of nationals from 19 countries. International students pay full tuition and other costs; as such, their payments are an important source of revenue for universities and colleges. DiNapoli said limitations to aid and loans, particularly in graduate study, may make the pursuit of higher education unaffordable to some, which is especially concerning since higher education costs in the state, apart from tuition at four-year public IHEs, are higher than the nationwide average. This challenge will be compounded by potential declines in international students whose full tuition payments act to subsidize charges paid by New York residents. Report Federal Impact on Higher Education Related Reports Higher Education in New York Economic Impact of Higher Education Federal Funding and New York – Online Resource

STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA SECURES FUNDING FOR THE BRONX HEALTH LINK

On Friday, October 24, State Senator Gustavo Rivera presented a $50,000 check to the Bronx Health Link, Inc. during the launch of their new Diaper Giveaway Program. More than 300 Bronxites attended the event where each received approximately one week's worth of diapers. They were also able to interact with 18 community organizations for more resources to support themselves and their families.

The $50,000 grant allocation by Senator Rivera will be used to run this brand new diaper program, which will supply free diapers to 20 birthing people each week for at least seven months in addition to this event. This funding will also support The Bronx Health Link’s Bronx Doula Access Project. Now Medicaid eligible, the doula services provided by this program will allow birthing people in our borough with childbirth education, birth doula services, and postpartum doula services.

“I’m proud to allocate $50,000 in operational funding to the Bronx Health Link, to continue delivering vital programs and essential items to many expecting and existing parents in the 33rd District. It’s a delight to be able to fund this organization for a third year in a row because I strongly believe in their core mission, which seeks to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in our borough by providing our families with essential resources to thrive," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.

“The Bronx Health Link is thrilled to be able to launch this program and add it to our other programs and services addressing maternal and infant health in the Bronx. When we meet a baby’s basic needs, we strengthen the foundation for the child’s health and future. Diaper access is a public health issue, not a luxury, and a diaper giveaway program is maternal health in action,” said Shirley Leyro, Administrative Director of The Bronx Health Link.

For last Friday's event, attendees registered ahead of time and requested the diaper size that their families needed. This event reached its capacity within a week of announcing the date, and families who had not been able to register were provided with contact information to The Bronx Health Link at (718) 590-2648.

 

NYGOP Response to Ridiculous NY-11 Lawsuit

 

NYGOP Chair Ed Cox released the following statement in response to a report of a lawsuit filed by partisan law firm Elias Law Group, which absurdly alleges that New York's 11th Congressional District unfairly disenfranchises minorities:

 

"This new lawsuit is a frivolous attempt to circumvent the clear reading of both the New York State Constitution and the Court of Appeals decisions concerning redistricting. Democrats attempted an outrageous gerrymander of the 11^th Congressional District when they adopted their plan in 2022. Fortunately, the courts at every level rejected their plan.

 

"Now, Democrats attempt another gerrymander of NY-11 by linking Staten Island to Manhattan. The current Staten Island/Brooklyn district is compact, respects communities of interest, and has been approved by both the courts and the State Legislature. This latest lawsuit, brought by the same lawyers who previously defended the unconstitutional state gerrymander in 2022, is seeking a blatant racial gerrymander in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14^th Amendment.

 

"Everyone should see this effort for what it is: a naked attempt to disenfranchise voters in NY-11 and elect a Democrat to this Congressional District contrary to the will of voters."

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES FIRST IN NATION TECHNOLOGY TO INTEGRATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH 911 FOR RAPID RESPONSE TO ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS

 

Pilot Will Create Immediate Pathway for 911 Notification of Weapon-Based Threat or Active-Shooter Situation 

 

25 School Buildings Across Five Boroughs Will Participate in New Emergency Alert System During 2025-2026 School Year 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Matthew Fraser today announced the nation’s first pilot directly integrating public schools with 911 services for life-saving rapid response in case of an active shooter situation. The new Emergency Alert System (EAS) created by the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) debuted at the Spring Creek campus in Brooklyn — the first school building in the United States to have direct 911 integration — and is scheduled to be rolled out to a total of 25 school buildings, representing 51 public schools across the five boroughs during the 2025-2026 school year. EAS provides an immediate, secure, and automated pathway for public schools to directly alert 911 of a critical emergency associated with a hard lockdown involving a weapon-based threat or active shooter situation.  

 

“Public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity and the key to delivering for working-class families, because our students deserve to feel safe in school, our parents must know their children are in a secure environment, and our teachers should have the confidence to focus on shaping young minds,” said Mayor Adams. “For the first time ever in our nation, a public school system will have direct integration with 911 services to ensure that help is on the way within seconds if there is ever an active shooter or weapon-based threat. Every parent deserves to know their child is safe in school, and this system gives them that peace of mind. We’ve already taken more than 24,097 illegal guns off our streets, and now we’re making sure our classrooms have the strongest, fastest protection possible. This new Emergency Alert System will protect our students, teachers, and staff, making sure New York City Public Schools have the most secure line of defense possible to keep our schools safe.” 

 

“The Adams administration’s cutting-edge use of technology to protect New Yorkers from physical and online threats is a major reason why New York City is the safest big city in the nation,” said CTO Fraser. “As a father of school-aged children, there is nothing more important to me than my kids returning home safe at the end of the day. This brand-new Emergency Alert System, the nation’s first to directly integrate schools with 911 in a hard lockdown event, marks a crucial advance in our city’s broader school safety efforts and provides additional peace of mind — a priceless commodity — for the parents and families of students. I commend OTI’s Public Safety and Emergency Management team, in partnership with New York City Public Schools and NYPD, for their work on this groundbreaking project.” 

 

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our young people. Today’s announcement adds another layer of security in our schools and offers peace of mind to our school communities in a worst-case scenario,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos. “This pilot builds on the robust safety measures already implemented in our schools, including the Safer Access Program, which locks main entrances to our buildings, NYPD School Safety Agents in every school, and emergency protocols that keep our schools safe. I am proud to take this step alongside our city partners to continue to prioritize the safety of our kids.”  

 

A critical bridge between schools and real-time police dispatch operations, EAS can be activated from multiple fixed buttons and wireless lanyards within a school and can initiate a 911 response in under 10 seconds. This school year, the pilot will roll out to 51 schools located at 25 school buildings, allowing for five sites per borough. Each school participating in the pilot will have multiple fixed buttons and wireless lanyards that can activate the emergency system during a hard lockdown sparked by a weapon-based threat.  

 

The school-activated EAS bypasses the 911 call flow straight to real-time dispatch. Within a matter of seconds, the dispatcher will put the call over the air and the system’s dashboard will provide emergency responders pertinent information on the school. Simultaneously, in these situations, the schools will have audible and visual indicators notifying students and faculty that 911 has been notified, and the school is on a hard lockdown. Additionally, electronic notifications will be sent to NYPD School Safety and New York City Public Schools officials. 

 

In late 2023, OTI’s Public Safety and Emergency Management division started working with the Mayor’s Office, New York City Public Schools, and NYPD’s School Safety Division to research options for a school-based panic button with direct connectivity to 911 in response to active-shooter scenarios, as no such product existed on the market at the time. The available emergency alert options transferred calls through a remote system in another state before subsequently routing them back to New York City. OTI worked with an external vendor to build a new EAS that meets the needs of New York City Public Schools, then rebuilt and tested the system within its internal lab to confirm its effectiveness. OTI also created dashboards that provide law enforcement and school officials with real-time insights in the event of an active shooter situation. 

 

More than 1,900 K-12 school shooting incidents occurred in the United States between 2015 and September 2025, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. K-12 school shootings peaked at 351 in 2023 and another 336 occurred in 2024.  

 

But thanks to the Adams administration’s proactive public safety efforts, shooting incidents and shooting victims are at their lowest point in the city’s recorded history.  

 

Since day one, the Adams administration has prioritized public safety initiatives to stop the scourge of gun violence and keep 8.5 million New Yorkers safe. More than 24,097 illegal firearms have been removed from city streets since January 2022, including over 4,100 this year alone. Shootings have also decreased by 67 percent citywide since before Mayor Adams came into office. In September 2025, major crimes dropped by 3.8 percent.  

 

Permits Filed for 4137 Third Avenue in East Tremont, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for a 15-story residential building at 4137 Third Avenue in East Tremont, The Bronx. Located between East 175th Street and East 176th Street, the lot is near the 174–175th Streets subway station, served by the B and D trains. Alex Lakaj of RBA Developers LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 145-foot-tall development will yield 68,853 square feet designated for residential space. The building will have 99 residences, most likely rentals based on the average unit scope of 695 square feet. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar and a 33-foot-long rear yard.

Fred Geremia Architects & Planners is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Governor Hochul Announces Record Subway Ridership as MTA Surpasses Three Billion Taps on Contactless Payment System

Upper East Sider Becomes Three Billionth Tap Into Transit System at 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center BDFM Station

Subway System Achieved New Post-Pandemic Record Ridership, Carrying More Than 4.5 Million Customers

87 Percent of Subway and Bus Trips Taken With Tap and Ride Technology

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York City Transit Subway surpassed 4.5 million riders for two consecutive days this week, marking a post-pandemic ridership record. The Governor also highlighted that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) hit three billion taps on its contactless fare payment system.

“With significant progress in safety and reliability this year, it’s no surprise that we are breaking yet another ridership record on the subway,” Governor Hochul said. “To top it off, the increased convenience riders now have to tap and go is paying real dividends. Reaching major milestones for tap and go and daily ridership in the same week is the latest proof that the investments New York has made in mass transit are helping the lifeblood of New York City thrive.”

On Wednesday, October 22, 4.52 million customers rode the subway and on Thursday, October 23, that figure was 4.55 million riders. The previous record was set during the holiday shopping season on Dec. 12, 2024, which saw 4.53 million subway customers. This comes as the MTA hit three billion taps on its contactless fare payment system. The three billionth tapper was identified as Russell Levy of the Upper East Side who tapped into the subway system at the 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center BDFM station just after 12:00 p.m. This milestone follows the Authority’s recent completion of installing 980 OMNY card vending machines across all 472 subway stations in September, as it prepares to phase out the MetroCard. To date, 87 percent of all subway and bus trips are paid using the Tap and Ride technology.

In March, the Authority announced the last day of MetroCard sales will be December 31, 2025, with the acceptance of MetroCards ending in mid-2026. As the Authority moves forward to fully transition, it continues to grow its robust OMNY retail network currently at 2,700 locations – more than double the MetroCard partnering locations. While the Tap and Ride payment system doesn’t require an OMNY card and allows riders to pay fares directly with digital wallets and contactless bank cards, customers will find it twice as easy to purchase or reload an OMNY card.

Customers with questions about the Tap and Ride payment system can call 511 or the OMNY Call Center at 877-789-6669, chat with a live agent in the MTA app, or visit any of the 16 24/7 staffed Customer Service Centers (CSCs), which will expand to 14 more locations by the end of the year as announced last week.

By eliminating the sale of MetroCard and fully transitioning to one fare collection method, the MTA expects to save at least $20 million annually in costs related to MetroCard production and distribution; vending machine repairs; and cash collection and handling. Moving to a contactless payment also unlocks potential for new customer-friendly promotions and fare discounts.

Contactless System Simplifies Using the Transit System

The Tap and Ride technology has simplified using the NYC transit system through the fare-capping feature which has removed the guesswork on purchasing the most cost-efficient fare ticket. Unlike MetroCard, customers do not have to pre-pay to receive unlimited rides or forfeit what they don’t spend. The fare-capping feature, available to customers who use a digital wallet, a contactless debit/credit card or an OMNY card, makes transit more accessible by automatically providing free rides and leaving money in customers’ pockets.

Last month, the MTA Board approved a series of fare and ticket policy changes, which included expanding seven-day fare capping to express buses beginning next year. Express bus customers will pay no more than $67 a week for unlimited express bus, local bus, and subway rides in any 7-day period. After being introduced as a pilot program in 2022, OMNY seven-day fare-capping will also become permanent. The 7-day rolling fare cap, which allows customers to pay for 12 rides in a 7-day period and automatically ride free for the rest of the week with no pre-payment required.

Also included in last month’s announcement was news that OMNY charge and trip history are now available on OMNY.info, a recently added feature in response to customer feedback during the public comment period for the fare changes. Customers are now able to track their trips and associated charges on OMNY.info, along with their progress toward unlimited rides. By mid-2026, the MTA app will include all self-service tools available on OMNY.info.