Seven 'gang members' are arrested over shooting of hero dad who shielded his kids from a stray bullet in New York - as crime continues to plague Big Apple
Seven men have been arrested over the shooting of a New York City father who was struck by a stray bullet as he tried to shield his children from gunfire at a car dealership.
Anthony Jefferson, 39, was shot in the thigh as he sat waiting at the Road Automotive Group car dealership in the Bronx on September 21, 2020.
Surveillance video captured at the time of the shooting showed gunfire shatter the glass of the dealership's window as Jefferson jumped in front of his three young sons in order to protect them.
Jefferson was left unable to walk following the attack, and was subsequently let go from his two jobs.
On Wednesday - almost a year after the shooting - the NYPD revealed they had arrested seven people over the incident, which they claim was 'gang related'.
The suspects have been named as Tahari Pritchard, 20, Dorien Alexander, 20, Daijon Crawford, 21, Aaron Heredia, 21, Zykeith Fearon, 21, and Akeyle Baker, 22, who have all been arrested for attempted murder.
According to The New York Post, known gang member Hasani John, 22, has also been arrested in relation to the shooting, and has been charged with two counts of assault and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Anthony Jefferson, 39, was shot in the thigh as he sat waiting at the Road Automotive Group car dealership in the Bronx on September 21, 2020
Last year, Jefferson spoke out following the attack saying he wasn't a hero, and was simply trying to protect his children.
'I just went into daddy mode,' he told PIX 11. 'They could have been burying me or my kids.'
Jefferson was at the dealership shopping for a vehicle to surprise his wife, Danica Jefferson, for her birthday.
Following the shooting, a launched a GoFundMe raised a whopping $270,000 to help cover Jefferson's medical bills and cost of living expenses as he was unable to provide for his family.
One anonymous altruist gave a whopping $25,000 to the Jefferson family, while around 8,100 kindhearted others donated smaller amounts.
'This is every parents worst nightmare and ultimate sacrifice. This man has brought honor to his family and courage to my heart,' one person wrote.
'My dearest wish is that his children recover from this traumatizing experience and that the fear in their hearts is replaced with the same courageous spirit of their father. It is my honor to provide what little I have for such a courageous hero and his noble actions.'
Terrifying video captured the moment Anthony Jefferson was shot in the leg as he shielded his three young children from a gunman who opened fire at a car dealership in the Bronx on Monday
The dad and his children were sitting on a couch inside the used car shop when a man in a black hoodie ran up and began firing through an open glass door
The shooting occurred amid a surge in gun crime in New York City, following Mayor Bill de Blasio's decision to slash $1 billion from the NYPD budget.
Data shows that shootings have become even more frequent in 2021, increasing by 13.4 percent.
Meanwhile, felony assaults and murders are also up on when compared to the same time last year.
Earlier this month, De Blasio defended a decision not to hire more cops in the wake of surging gun crime, stating: 'We have a lot of work to do to turn around. But a number of other American cities unfortunately are going through much, much worse.'
The attacks came as violent crimes across the city continue to spike. Overall crimes, however, are down .4% this past week