A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was off duty was shot late Saturday night in a New York City park located beneath the George Washington Bridge. The incident took place at 11:51 p.m. on Saturday in Fort Washington Park, situated in the Washington Heights section of upper Manhattan.
The New York Police Department reported that they have detained one person who is being investigated in connection with the shooting. According to law enforcement, the victim is a 42-year-old federal Border Patrol agent. He was shot in both the face and the arm during what investigators believe may have been a robbery attempt. The agent, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he underwent treatment. Officials said on Sunday that he is expected to survive.
Investigators from the NYPD were seen combing the area for evidence in the aftermath of the shooting, which occurred near the Little Red Lighthouse, a well-known landmark in Fort Washington Park located directly beneath the bridge. Police have taken one individual into custody and are working to determine whether that person played a role in the attack. The exact motive is still unclear, but authorities are looking into the possibility that the shooting was tied to a robbery.
This incident follows another attack involving the Border Patrol earlier this month. On July 7, a man opened fire at the entrance of the Border Patrol sector annex at McAllen International Airport in Texas. In that case, 27-year-old Ryan Louis Mosqueda allegedly fired numerous shots at the federal facility, where two police officers and a Border Patrol staff member sustained injuries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The reason behind the Texas shooting is still being investigated.
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