Brooklyn residents rally against migrant shelter as violence escalates

CLINTON HILL, Brooklyn (PIX11) — Brooklyn residents voiced their concerns at a rally Tuesday after two deadly shootings in Clinton Hill this weekend near a migrant shelter in their neighborhood.

The shootings , which took place Sunday just minutes apart, have residents in the neighborhood grappling with the violence that left three people dead and two others fighting for their lives. Police are now seeking the public’s help in finding the man believed to be responsible for both incidents that happened outside a migrant shelter at 29 Ryerson St.

One of those victims, just 21 years old, lived at that shelter, according to police. Those shootings are now prompting community calls for action.

“We’re here because we love this place, and we don’t want to see it go down where we have to rebuild it again,” said Renee Collymore, who organized the rally.

Neighbors said the two migrant shelters in the neighborhood, which have brought an influx of more than 3,000 asylum seekers living at the sites, are overwhelming the neighborhood. Residents expressed fears for their safety after Sunday’s shootings, as well as a stabbing outside the shelter at 47 Hall Street back in June.

“I walk down my street, and my neighbors look traumatized,” said Clinton Hill resident Alia Mckee. “They’re afraid. The kids don’t want to go to the park. The kids look at me. They heard about the shootings and they’re asking me about it. I don’t know what to tell them. I can’t keep them safe.”

Despite their grievances, residents are not demanding the shelter’s closure. Still, they are urging the city to alleviate the burden by reducing the number of migrants housed there and spreading them across other neighborhoods.

“This isn’t about not wanting it in my backyard,” McKee said. “This is about wanting a manageable, safe shelter in my backyard.”

Mayor Eric Adams responded to residents’ demands in a press briefing on Tuesday, saying the city was simply out of options.

“When they say move the shelter, my question to them is where?” questioned Adams. “Which community should I move it in? Those who are already oversaturated? Or should we all share the burden of this? No one wants this.”

PIX11 contacted the New York City Department of Homeless Services to inquire whether emergency migrant shelters have capacity limits, given the many people living at the two shelters in Clinton Hill.

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