Two Brothers Gunned Down On Staten Island
Two brothers were fatally shot — one as he came to the aid of his wounded older brother — after a gunman opened fire on a Staten Island street corner early Sunday, police and witnesses said.
Terrell Ford, 27, and Justin Ford, 28, were gunned down when an argument turned violent on Targee St. and Vanderbilt Ave. — about four blocks from their home — in Fox Hills shortly before 3 a.m., police and witnesses said.
The younger brother was shot twice in his stomach and the older victim was hit in the back, police said. The older Ford tried to run for cover after the attack but collapsed a few feet away on Hillside Ave., police and witnesses said. His brother fell to the ground outside a gas station near the scene, several witnesses said.
One woman who declined to give her name sobbed uncontrollably near the scene, saying she was trying to resuscitate Terrell Ford before paramedics rushed both men to area hospitals.
“I was just giving breath to the person and I don’t even know if he’s alive!” she said, looking down at her jeans soaked with blood from kneeling down beside the mortally wounded man.
“I heard the shots and I saw him on the ground and I ran over and started giving him breath. I don’t even know what happened!” she cried.
The younger man was shot when he tried to come to his brother’s rescue, according to the woman.
“He was trying to help his brother and he got shot too,” she said.
Justin Ford was taken to Staten Island Medical Center North while his brother was taken to Richmond University Medical Center, but neither could be saved, officials said.
It was not immediately clear what spurred the double killing.
The suspect remained at large Sunday morning.
