Suffolk police search for gunman after Mastic Beach shooting leaves two injured
Police are searching for a gunman after shots rang out on Woodside Road, injuring a 25-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman in Mastic Beach.
Suffolk County police were searching Tuesday for the gunman who opened fire during a late-night argument in Mastic Beach, turning a neighborhood dispute on Woodside Road into a serious public-safety concern. The shooting happened around 10 p.m. Monday in front of 96 Woodside Road, where police said a group began arguing in the street before a man pulled a handgun and fired several shots.
The victims, a 25-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, were taken to area hospitals for treatment. News 12 reported that both suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Detectives with the Seventh Squad were handling the case, and police did not identify a motive or say whether the victims and the shooter knew one another.
The shooting immediately raised concern in Mastic Beach, a largely residential hamlet in eastern Brookhaven that had a population of 16,735 in ACS 2024 data and 14,199 in the 2020 census. Brookhaven describes the community as close-knit and notes it suffered major damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a reminder that violence on a local street can ripple far beyond the people directly involved.
Police have not said whether the gunfire was targeted, but the facts of the case suggest investigators are trying to reconstruct how a verbal argument escalated so quickly into an armed attack. In a place like Mastic Beach, that question matters. Residents are left wondering whether the shooting was an isolated confrontation or part of a broader neighborhood threat, especially with the suspect still at large.
The case also fits into a troubling local pattern. Suffolk County officials said Jerry McKoy, 58, was sentenced to 16 years to life for shooting into an occupied house in Mastic Beach in April 2024. Another shooting in the hamlet in 2023 seriously injured a 38-year-old man. Those incidents, along with the latest gunfire, deepen concerns about violence spilling into residential blocks.
Police are urging anyone with information to come forward. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers said tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-220-TIPS (8477), through the P3 Tips app, or at P3Tips.com. If a tip leads to an arrest, Crime Stoppers said a reward of up to $5,000 may be authorized. The Suffolk County Police Department also lists the Seventh Precinct front desk at 1419 William Floyd Parkway in Shirley, where officers say the precinct covers eastern Brookhaven, including Mastic Beach.
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