A 21-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon in Albany.
Police say Davyjian Grier was shot in his vehicle around 5 p.m. near Delaware Ave and Southern Boulevard. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the suspect in the shooting ran away.
As heard on WNYT, Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins says the incident began as a disagreement involving a driver and a pedestrian that rapidly escalated.
"And the person that was on foot started firing shots at the person that was in the car, at the two people that were in the car, the person that was driving drove away from the area, and as he was driving away, the person with the gun continued shooting at him. That driver of that vehicle crashed his vehicle in the parking lot of the Stewarts," Hawkins said.
Hawkins says in all 13 shots were fired before the suspected shooter ran away. Hawkins says it’s not clear whether shooter and victim knew one another.
"So all we have right now is a suspect is a lighter skinned Black male handgun involved one shooter," said Hawkins, who adds city and business surveillance cameras are expected to provide video evidence.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan called it a “brazen act of violence” that put others in harm’s way. "We have the largest crime analysis lab in the state and we have an impeccable record of closing these cases and bringing people to justice, and I have no doubt we that we will do the same thing after this brazen and horriffic crime," said Sheehan.
The shooting comes on the heels of a mass shooting last week that left six people injured by gunfire, and is the latest in a series of gun violence incidents that have plagued the city.
"You know, we saw it, and what happened at the barbershop on Second Ave., you know, we have seen this type of thing, and it is, to me, the type of crime that just shows a complete and utter depravity for human life. And so we are putting all of our resources that we have available to us into ensuring that we find this person. He's clearly dangerous. We need to find him and arrest him," Sheehan said.
Common Council President Corey Ellis is a fellow Democrat. He says the broad daylight shooting means leaders “don't have a grip on what's really going on."
"The criminal element feels they can walk around our city carrying guns, transporting guns in their cars, on their persons, and believe they can just do anything they want," Ellis said. "And so there's a lack of humanity when it comes to how people are viewing one another. But we have to send the message as well, 'if you come into our city to do bad that there's a there's an opportunity you are going to be caught and you're going to be prosecuted.'"
Victory Church is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Albany Police. Tips may also be submitted online to Capital Region Crime Stoppers.
