Gates police say a 71-year-old Irondequoit man fatally shot on Buell Road Wednesday morning was the 14th victim of a pair of carjackers who have struck from one end of Monroe County to the other.
Gates Police Chief James VanBrederode says officers were called to Buell Road off Chili Avenue at 10:45 a.m. for a report of gunshots. They found the victim shot in the upper body, and he died after being brought to Strong Memorial Hospital. VanBrederode said he was the victim of an attempted carjacking. He called it a “true brazen act of violence in broad daylight.”
VanBrederode said the suspected carjackers have been robbing people at gunpoint since March 28th, growing more brazen and violent over the week. He says at times they deliberately rear-end a victim, then rob the driver when they get out of their car to check the damage. Some victims have been boxed in by a black sedan with dark tinted windows and then robbed. Other victims have been followed to their destination, including their homes, and then held up when they got out of their cars.
Carjackings have occurred in Gates, Greece, Irondequoit, Webster and Ogden. Police in those towns have set up a task force to catch the criminals. People with tips should call 911 or Gates PD at 429-8275.