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Crime

2 injured in shooting outside NY governor candidate's home 

While police are investigating the shooting to determine the cause, they “do not believe there is any connection” to Zeldin

October 10, 2022 7:45pm

Updated: October 11, 2022 8:02am

Two teenagers were shot on Sunday outside of the Long Island home of Representative Lee Zeldin (R), who is running for New York governor against Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

The teenagers were walking down the street when an unidentified person opened fire from a passing vehicle, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. 

The teens “were struck and attempted to hide in the yard,” the police said. A third teen who was with them fled the scene. 

The teens, 17, were injured by the gunfire but did not have life-threatening wounds. 

While police are investigating the shooting to determine the cause, they “do not believe there is any connection” to Zeldin, who has made fighting crime a central issue in his campaigns. 

Zeldin said his two 16-year-old daughters were home at the time of the shooting. They locked themselves in the bathroom when they heard the gunshots and called 911, Zeldin said in a statement. 

Zeldin told Fox Business Network on Monday that “one of the bullets landed about 30 feet” from where his daughters were sitting in the kitchen. “I don’t know anything about the shooters,” he said. “I don’t know who shot these two people. I don’t know what the motive was.”

“I’m standing in front of crime scene tape in front of my own house,” Zeldin told reporters. “You can’t get me more outraged than right now.” 

Zeldin has made crime and public safety a key issue in his campaign against Governor Kathy Hochul. However, this is the second violent episode to happen around the four-term congressman. In July, a man attempted to stab Zeldin during a campaign event.