Residents of Kensington are being haunted by a Halloween-weekend slaying that’s rattled a quiet, tree-lined block that most Brooklynites never heard of.
For the foreseeable future, Clara Street between Dahill Road and Chester Street — just four short blocks from the southern end of Green-Wood Cemetery — will be remembered as the spot where a man was found shot to death on the first of November, a day known to many residents as All Saints’ Day.
Police said that the victim, described as a Hispanic male, was found shot in the head on Clara Street at 11:30 a.m. just as residents of the quiet block were starting their Sunday.
Responding paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Witnesses said that the victim was shot multiple times in the head. The shooter may have been wearing a Halloween mask, cops were told.
Police said that they have tentatively identified the victim, but had yet to confirm the victim’s identity with family members. No motive was forthcoming as this paper went to press.
This is the sixth homicide to take place in the 66th Precinct, which has seen an uptick in violence this year. By this time last year, three killings had been investigated by precinct cops.
A large portion of this year’s homicides took place in the Kensington side of the precinct. While there is no discernible pattern, a few of the past slayings have been connected to the rise of Mexican gangs in the area.
The number of assaults in the community has also increased, by 4.9 percent, according to NYPD statistics.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to come forward.
Calls can be made to the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
