Carey Gabay, ‘A Beautiful Man, A Sweet Man’ Gunned Down While Attending Brooklyn Festival

Carey Gabay, a lawyer for New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration, is still in critical condition after being injured during a rival gang gunfight while attending the West Indian American Day pre-festivities in Brooklyn, New York.

Gabay was caught in the crossfire as two opposing gangs began shooting at each other. The incident happened sometime around 3:40 a.m. Monday morning. He was walking alongside his brother when shots rang out.

Carey Gabay was taken to King’s County Hospital Center, where he underwent surgery. Later, speaking to reporters, Gov. Cuomo said Carey is “not doing well.” Gabay was in critical condition as of Monday night.

The exact circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation. Police believe Carey Gabay was “an unintended target.” He attempted to take cover behind a parked car, yet was still struck in the top of the head.

The New York Times reports that Carey Gabay was caught in the middle of a gunfight involving at least 30 shots from as many as three guns.

The chief spokesman for the New York Police Department, Stephen Davis, said later, “the fact that no one else was hit is nothing short of miraculous.”

Kevin Cummins, a good friend of Mr. Gabay was there when the shooting happened.

“We all got up and walked around to make sure everybody was OK. I walked around and I saw Carey lying on the floor, and I can’t believe it, I just started to cry, but then his brother was there and he just lost it.”

In an interview with ABC 7 Eyewitness News, Carey Gabay received praise from Gov. Cuomo while also reminding how senseless violence can ruin lives.

“This was a beautiful man, a sweet man, a man who was giving back to his community, a gentleman, who was involved in nothing, just walking down the street with his brother, wife pregnant with his first child.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also made a statement.

“Our prayers are with Carey Gabay and his loved ones. Another heartbreaking reminder of our fight to get guns off our streets.”

He also said Gabay is “fighting for his life.”

The shooting that injured Carey Gabay was one of several violent incidents that happened in the early hours before the West Indian Day festivities. Around 2 a.m., another man was shot in a separate event while an additional man was fatally stabbed according to ABC7.

A third shooting occurred later that morning involving a 39-year-old unnamed individual was shot in the torso and is expected to survive.

Per a report by the Inquisitr, another shootout took place a few months ago, leaving two dead near the same area where Carey Gabay was shot Monday morning.

Carey Gabay grew up in the Bronx and presently lives with his wife in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn. He currently serves as Gov. Cuomo’s first deputy counsel. Prior to that, Gabay was the assistant counsel to the governor. He has a B.A. from Harvard and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

[Photos courtesy: Lisa Evers via Twitter and New York Daily News]