By Nicole Silverio
Two individuals were shot outside of Republican New York Rep. Lee Zeldin’s Long Island home Sunday while his twin daughters were home.
Zeldin’s 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, heard gunshots and screaming outside of the house and immediately locked themselves in the upstairs bathroom and called 911, the representative said in a statement obtained by the Daily Caller. The incident occurred at 2:18 p.m. while Zeldin and his wife, Diana, were in the car after having attended the Bronx Columbus Day Parade.
“They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them,” Zeldin said in the statement.
Thank you to all who reached out with your concern regarding the 2 people shot this afternoon outside my home. Mikayla and Arianna were at the kitchen table doing homework. One of the bullets landed just 30 feet from them. They acted very swiftly and smartly in response. pic.twitter.com/PMw3u5ic17
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 9, 2022
The two individuals who were shot were found laying under Zeldin’s front porch and the bushes, the statement read. They have reportedly been transported to the hospital. (RELATED: Man Who Allegedly Tried To Stab Rep. Lee Zeldin Let Out Of Jail)
Law enforcement arrived at Zeldin’s home to obtain security footage of the incident from their home cameras, he said. He added that his daughters were “shaken” by the incident and that crime has run rampant in the state of New York.
“My daughters are shaken, but ok. Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door. My family is grateful to all who have reached out and we will provide another update when we can.”
Zeldin told the New York Post that a bullet was found just 30 feet from where his daughters were doing their homework on the first floor. The representative added that blood was spotted on a rock next to their porch.
The Suffolk County Police Department is investigating the matter as “gang-related” and have confirmed that the incident has nothing to do with the Zeldin family, the Post reported. Police said that one of the victims was shot in the chest and one of them also jumped over the representative’s fence and knocked over their “Zeldin for Governor” yard sign.
Zeldin faced a violent attack in July when a man entered the stage in an attempt to stab him in the neck during his gubernatorial campaign speech on bail reform. In the aftermath of the attack, his campaign lambasted the “out of control crime and violence” in New York and vowed to be tough on crime.
