Police say the victims, ages 15 and 17, were hit in the hand and leg after another vehicle pulled up and a shooter opened fire.
BRENTWOOD, NY — Two teenage boys were shot Monday evening while sitting in a parked car on Madison Avenue near Hewes Street, Suffolk County police said. The gunfire broke out around 7 p.m. after a second vehicle stopped in front of them and a person got out and fired into the teens’ car, according to detectives.
The shooting is under investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Squad. Officials said three males were inside the parked vehicle when the other car, with at least three people inside, pulled up. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the hand and a 17-year-old was shot in the leg. Both injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Police recovered a gun at the scene and are reviewing surveillance video from the area as they search for those involved. No arrests had been announced as of Wednesday, Jan. 21, and investigators were still working to confirm descriptions of the suspects and the cars.
After the shots were fired, the teens’ vehicle reversed and sped away from Madison Avenue, police said. Officers were called shortly afterward to a location about two miles away, near Stein Drive and Marvin Road in North Bay Shore by Brentwood High School, where the two injured teens were found. “We initially got a 911 call from one of the parents of the individuals who were shot,” Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said, adding that the parents tracked the teens’ phones to the second location. Catalina said detectives are investigating the case as a possible gang-motivated shooting, calling the attack “senseless.” Both teens were taken to South Shore University Hospital and were expected to survive, authorities said.
Investigators said the second vehicle fled in an unknown direction after the shooting. The first car, which had three occupants, did not remain at the original scene; police are still interviewing the teens to establish the sequence of events and the number of shots fired. A firearm was found on the ground in the area of the initial gunfire, detectives said, and it will be examined as evidence. Officers canvassed homes and businesses for camera footage along Madison Avenue and surrounding blocks and collected shell casings and other trace evidence. The exact relationship among the teens in the parked car was not immediately released, and police did not identify the victims due to their ages.
Brentwood is a densely populated community in the Town of Islip where residential streets sit close to schools and small businesses. The secondary scene near Stein Drive is close to athletic fields and campus buildings used by Brentwood High School, adding urgency to the police response Monday night. Residents in the neighborhood described hearing a burst of pops consistent with gunfire. Police have not publicly linked this case to any previous incidents in the area, and officials said it remains unknown how many rounds were fired or what kind of handgun was used.
Detectives from the Third Squad are leading the case with support from patrol officers and crime scene units. Evidence technicians processed both locations late Monday and into Tuesday, and investigators continued interviews through Wednesday morning. Police said they are reviewing footage from private home cameras and nearby storefronts to identify the vehicles and the shooter. No charges had been filed as of Wednesday, Jan. 21. Officials said additional information could be released after detectives complete interviews with the injured teens and determine whether the recovered gun is connected to the attack.
On Madison Avenue, neighbors said they saw flashing lights flood the block as police arrived. Henry Chavez, who has lived on the street for 15 years, said his family heard the shots from their living room. “My 7-year-old said, ‘It’s fireworks,’ but it was not,” Chavez said. He described a brief, chaotic stretch in which cars moved quickly away and then silence returned before sirens approached. Parents picking up teenagers near the high school Tuesday said they were unsettled but relieved to learn the boys were expected to recover.
As of Wednesday afternoon, police said the search for the suspects and the two vehicles was ongoing. Detectives planned additional canvassing and were awaiting results from evidence processing, including analysis of the firearm recovered at the scene. Officials said they would provide updates as new information becomes available.
Author note: Last updated January 21, 2026.