A man was fatally shot in an East Village public-housing development Saturday evening — possibly by himself, though police are not confirming that at this point.
Police said that on June 20 at 7:21 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call of a man shot inside Campos Plaza, at 635 E. 12th St., at Avenue C.
They found the man unconscious and unresponsive with a wound to his upper left leg. E.M.S. responded and transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The New York Post reported that the victim was 36 years old and that the gun he was carrying accidentally discharged in his waistband, according to police sources.
A family member reportedly was with the victim at the time and called 911.
Police are withholding releasing the identity of the deceased pending proper family notification.
A department spokesperson, though, told The Village Sun that police are not ready to state publicly that the victim shot himself, and that the incident is still under investigation.
“We’re looking into the possibility that he shot himself,” he said. “But nothing is concluded until the medical examiner’s report is finished.”
The investigation will check if there is surveillance camera video available of the shooting and also try to determine the distance from which the man was shot, among other things.
Another police spokesperson told The Village Sun that the shooting occurred inside an elevator.
His name was Jay Adames and his was 36 years old. Rumor has it that his uncle got robbed and he went up to get the gun and the gun went off on him in the elevator where he died. He will be missed.