NYC Mayor Adams Joins Families to Crush 3,500 Seized Guns Amidst Fatal Harlem Shooting Investigation

Community Mourns Exena Matey

• 💔 A 61-year-old grandmother, Exena Matey, was fatally shot outside her Harlem home on Tuesday night.
• 🎯 Matey was an innocent bystander, reportedly cleaning up a deli and went outside to check on her grandson when she was shot.
• 🔍 An active search is underway for the gunman, believed to be one of three individuals involved in a dispute.

Mayor Adams' Gun Violence Initiative

• 💥 New York City Mayor Eric Adams participated in a demonstration to crush 3,500 guns seized from city streets.
• 📈 This event symbolizes the ongoing effort to reduce violent crime and remove illegal firearms.
• 🤝 Families impacted by gun violence joined the mayor, placing firearms onto a machine to be disintegrated, honoring victims.

Arrest and Ongoing Investigation

• 🚨 Police have charged 23-year-old Darius Smith with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the shooting.
• ⚠️ Smith, who was shot in the foot, is believed to be one of three people involved in the incident that stemmed from a dispute.
• ⚖️ Mayor Adams highlighted Smith's prior arrest last year for a double stabbing.

Gun Seizures and Crime Reduction Efforts

• 📊 Since Mayor Adams took office, over 21,000 guns have been seized in New York City.
• 📅 Approximately 1,600 guns have been collected in the first four months of the current year.
• 🗣️ Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell emphasized the mayor's mandate to get guns off the streets and stop shootings.
• 📢 Mayor Adams conveyed a message that high-profile incidents do not indicate the overall direction of the city.