05/21/2012
By Solomon Syed
ALBANY - This now the fourth shooting in eight days in Albany, but this one comes with a bit of a twist, one that has neighbors scared and police wondering if this shooting wasn't random.
On Monday, Swinburne Park looked much like it did Sunday afternoon when a man was shot in broad daylight as kids played nearby.
"This world is just going to pieces right now. I'm just shocked," said Albany resident Jamaica Harris.
The victim, [name withheld], 26, sustained three gunshot wounds. One of the bullets is now lodged in his spinal cord. But [name withheld]' own criminal history's raising some questions about why he was near the park in the first place and why he may have been targeted: He's a level three sex offender out on parole since April 13th for the statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl.
- So, is the reporter trying to justify the shooting? A man was shot, his past should not have anything to do with it, except to prove motive in court.
"It's very frustrating. We can't be in this fight alone. This is our city, our neighborhoods, too, and we need everybody to work together," said Albany Police PIO Steve Smith.
Police say witnesses have not been forthcoming, which hasn't gotten them any closer to cracking the case, one that now has parents in this neighborhood on high alert.
Harris said, "I mean, I have a baby myself. It's unbelievable. So many things are going on in the world right now. You just have to be a lot more careful."
Now as part of his parole, [name withheld] has to stay at least a thousand feet away from any park or school, so even as the victim here, he could face some legal problems of his own. Police are still looking for two suspects. Anyone with information urged to give Albany police a call.
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