New York: A seven-month-old baby in a stroller was tragically killed on Wednesday afternoon when a stray bullet struck while a man on a moped fired at a group of people on a Brooklyn sidewalk, authorities said.

Police believe the shooting was gang-related, and the child was an unintended victim.

"There are no words that can mend the heartbreak this family is feeling right now," said Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a briefing near the scene. "A life that had barely begun was taken in an instant."

The incident occurred around 1:20 pm local time, when two men sped down the street on a moped. The passenger on the back of the vehicle fired at least two shots towards a street corner where several adults and children were gathered. No other injuries were reported.

Following the shooting, the moped fled the scene but collided with an oncoming car two blocks away, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The crash was so severe that the passenger lost both his shoes.

One of the men was injured in the collision and taken to hospital. He is in police custody in connection with an unrelated investigation. The other man remains at large.

Investigators used local security cameras to track the moped’s movements in the minutes after the shooting, Tisch added.

"This is a terrible day in our city, a tragedy that truly shocks the conscience," she said. "As a mother, I cannot imagine the pain this family is feeling or the grief they now carry. It is unspeakable."

The child’s death comes amid a sustained period of falling crime in New York City. Up to Sunday, the NYPD recorded 52 killings so far in 2026, down 29% from the same period last year. The city is on course to complete the first quarter with killings and shootings at near-decades lows.

Mayor Mamdani said the tragedy is a stark reminder that more must be done to curb gun violence.