Man killed, another critically wounded in Bronx shootings

One man was killed and another critically wounded in separate shootings in the Bronx on Sunday.

In one incident around 4:15 p.m., police said officers were called to Bruckner Blvd. near Pugsley Ave. in Castle Hill in answer to reports of a person shot. When cops arrived, they discovered Jose Baez, 52, with a gunshot wound to the head.

Medics rushed the victim to Jacobi Medical Center, but he could not be saved. Baez lived in Highbridge, about four and a half miles from where he was killed, according to cops.

Less than two hours later, in the Melrose section of the Bronx, more gunfire erupted, with a 41-year-old man shot in the chest on Park Ave. near E. 158th St. around 5:55 p.m., police said.

A friend of the victim rushed her children inside after the shots were fired, then came out again to check on him.

“We came out and then we saw him laying there on the ground,” said the woman, who asked to be only identified as Christine. “Everybody was standing over him and someone took off their shirt to press the wound.”

The woman watched as arriving medics turned the man on to his side.

“I didn’t even see all the blood because they had him on his side,” she said. “Then they rolled him over and I saw three holes in his chest, right where the heart is.”

The victim was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, cops said.

“If he survived that, he strong,” said Christine, who noted the man was in surgery late Sunday.

The victim often hangs out at the building visiting friends, according to the woman.

“He don’t get into nothing. He’s a good dude,” said Christine. “He takes care of his daughter. He didn’t deserve that.”

There were no immediate arrests in either shooting.