Detectives in Brooklyn are searching for a gunman who fatally shot a man outside his home on Thursday morning.
Officers from the 67th Precinct responded to reports of a shooting outside 726 Rockaway Pkwy. in East Flatbush shortly after 7:30 a.m. on July 3.
Arriving on the scene, cops found a 31-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Paramedics transported the victim three blocks to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. His identity has not been released pending family notification, but police sources said they believe the shooting occurred outside his residence.
Detectives spoke to neighbors about the fatal shooting early Thursday morningPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
Police said the suspect fled southbound on Ditmas Avenue. He was described only as a male with a dark complexion.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear. However, News 12 reported that neighbors saw the two men arguing in the street before shots were fired.
An NYPD Helicopter searches for the shooting suspect near the victim’s East Flatbush residencePhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
The July 3 incident marks the seventh homicide and 18th shooting in the 67th Precinct so far this year, per the latest NYPD statistics.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
On July 8, Brooklynites will join families across New York state in celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day, a grassroots effort sparked by grief and an unwavering commitment to help others.
The initiative honors the memory of Samantha “Sammy” Goldsmith, a vibrant 34-year-old who spent much of her life in New York City and whose legacy continues to touch families from Park Slope to Prospect Heights and beyond.
“She was just like us. She had her entire life ahead of her,” said Jenny Goldsmith, Sammy’s sister. “She was my best, best friend. And in the blink of an eye, everything changed.”
Sammy was struck by a car while traveling abroad in 2019. After surviving for 11 months with a traumatic brain injury, she died in 2020. The Goldsmiths, overwhelmed by both the emotional toll and medical realities of her care, decided to redirect the remaining funds from a GoFundMe campaign to help other families in crisis.
“It was a no-brainer — no pun intended,” Goldsmith said. “Sammy was the most selfless, giving person. We knew she would’ve wanted us to help someone else.”
In 2022, they partnered with the Brain Injury Association of New York State to launch the Samantha Goldsmith Fund, which provides up to $5,000 to help brain injury survivors and their families across the state. The fund helps cover urgent, often uncovered costs such as wheelchair modifications, transportation and emergency housing.
One of those families lives right here in Brooklyn.
Since its creation in 2022, the Samantha Goldsmith Fund has helped over 20 families, including one in Brooklyn.Photo courtesy of Jenny Goldsmith
Years ago, a young boy in Brooklyn was hit by a car and sustained a severe brain injury. Now a young adult, he still requires daily support. After spending years in out-of-state care, his family hoped to bring him back home. But a medically necessary tilt shower chair — a key piece of equipment needed to care for him safely at home — was not covered by insurance. That’s when they turned to the Samantha Goldsmith Fund.
“Time was running out,” Goldsmith said. “We know firsthand how urgent and overwhelming this can be. This family had done everything right, but they needed help — and we were able to be that help.”
For Sammy’s family, helping Brooklynites is personal. Sammy spent years living in the city, frequenting local coffee shops and building a career in philanthropy. Though she was raised in New Jersey, she carved a life in New York.
“She loved Brooklyn, she was such a ‘city girl,’” she said.
Now the family channels that same energy into Random Acts of Kindness Day, celebrated every July 8 — the day Sammy died. They encourage people to perform simple yet heartfelt gestures in her memory: buying coffee for the person behind you in line, donating to an animal shelter, leaving flowers on a car or complimenting a stranger.
“This day is about being ‘Sammy’ for the day,” Goldsmith said. “She would go out of her way to help another human being because she would take the shirt off her back — literally — for someone in need.”
For the Goldsmiths, the future of the fund is about building awareness and community, especially for those who feel isolated after a loved one suffers a brain injury.
‘We had no idea where to turn when it happened to us,” she said. “We want other people to know they’re not alone. That there is help. There is hope.”
Since its creation, the fund has distributed nearly $60,000 to families in need.
“The idea that just getting the awareness out there,” Goldsmith said, “that there are funds, and there are things that can be there, because you can just feel so hopeless.”
