A 27-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection with the tragic shooting of a 31-year-old construction worker at an unlicensed bar in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood early Monday morning. The suspect, Gabriel Hernandez, was charged with manslaughter and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon by police.
According to authorities, Giovanni Rivera, who lived just two miles away in Borough Park, was fatally shot in the torso and back while inside the building on 50th Street and Third Avenue around 5 a.m. Medical personnel rushed him to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Rivera's killing is ongoing, with police still gathering evidence. Representatives from the establishment where the shooting occurred were unavailable for comment at this time.
Rivera's family has expressed their devastating loss and lack of information from law enforcement in a statement to Gothamist. His sister, Maria Hernandez, described her brother as "very kind, very good-hearted" and said he was "not looking for any trouble." Rivera had recently returned to his construction job, with the goal of saving up money to visit his mother in Mexico.
The arrest marks a sobering reminder of Brooklyn's growing violence problem. According to NYPD data, this year's 72nd Precinct recorded just one homicide as of November 16, compared to three at the same point last year. However, there have been an increase in shootings within the precinct, with three reported incidents through that date.
This story is based on preliminary information from police and may be updated as more details become available.
According to authorities, Giovanni Rivera, who lived just two miles away in Borough Park, was fatally shot in the torso and back while inside the building on 50th Street and Third Avenue around 5 a.m. Medical personnel rushed him to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Rivera's killing is ongoing, with police still gathering evidence. Representatives from the establishment where the shooting occurred were unavailable for comment at this time.
Rivera's family has expressed their devastating loss and lack of information from law enforcement in a statement to Gothamist. His sister, Maria Hernandez, described her brother as "very kind, very good-hearted" and said he was "not looking for any trouble." Rivera had recently returned to his construction job, with the goal of saving up money to visit his mother in Mexico.
The arrest marks a sobering reminder of Brooklyn's growing violence problem. According to NYPD data, this year's 72nd Precinct recorded just one homicide as of November 16, compared to three at the same point last year. However, there have been an increase in shootings within the precinct, with three reported incidents through that date.
This story is based on preliminary information from police and may be updated as more details become available.
just can't believe what's happening in our community... like, we're always hearin' about how Brooklyn's supposed to be this safe haven for artists & creatives, but it feels like no one's doin' enough to keep us safe. I mean, 72 homicides in the whole borough? That's crazy! 
And it's not just the big cities that are sufferin', neighborhoods like Sunset Park and Borough Park are gettin' hit hard too.
We need better regulation & enforcement, pronto! 
. It's like, really sad that it had to happen here. I was thinking, maybe we can learn from this to make our communities safer? We need more people looking out for each other, you know? Like, if someone's around a bar that doesn't feel right, they should speak up or leave. We all deserve to feel safe and supported.
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anyway, my thoughts go out to Rivera's family, may he rest in peace 
. The fact that the suspect was let out of custody in the first place is just mind-boggling... what even is our system like?! 
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. It's time for real change, not just more empty promises or half-measures 
the thought of someone just walkin into a bar lookin for a good time and gettin shot in the torso and back is just... wild 
and can u believe they found the guy who did it just 2 miles away from where his victim lived?! 
that's just crazy talk! 
anyway, i feel so bad for giovanni's family, he sounds like such a good person 
and it's just devastating to think about how much pain and suffering this city is facin right now 
hope the police can get to the bottom of this and make sure justice is served 
. Gabriel Hernandez might've broken some laws or whatever, but manslaughter? That's harsh 
. I heard it was pretty chaotic inside that bar, anyone else surprised the police didn't get there sooner 
. The family is really suffering from this loss, I hope justice gets served soon 
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. The growing violence problem in Brooklyn is a wake-up call for all of us to think about our safety and well-being 
. It's heartbreaking to hear about the loss of Giovanni Rivera and his family 
nyc needs 2 do somethin about dis ASAP like whats happenin 2 these ppl especially wen they got fams lookin @ dem 
That's not cool at all. I feel so bad for Giovanni's family and friends... he was such a nice guy, just trying to make a living and visit his mom in Mexico 
but honestly, I feel like we need to take a step back and actually talk about why this is happening 
is it poverty? lack of opportunities? or is it something deeper? for me, it's about how we treat each other, you know? we're so caught up in our own lives that we forget there are people just two miles away who could've been us 
and ended up getting shot 
in the wrong place at the wrong time 
hopefully he gets the help he needs 
but seriously, this is a huge reminder of Brooklyn's violence problem 
we need to come together as a community to make our neighborhoods safer 
everyone deserves to feel safe and respected 
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. It's like, where was the security? Who was watching out for people's safety? And what really gets me is that the police are still gathering evidence, so they don't even know if there were any other shooters involved 
That's not a good thing. I'm all for people wanting to have a good time, but it's got to be done safely. Maybe they need to re-think their licensing process or something.
. Losing someone you love is just the worst