The shooting happened just before midnight on July 19 inside Fort Washington Park in Upper Manhattan. That’s where the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Miguel Mora of the Dominican Republic, shot the off-duty officer in the face in what police believe to have been a robbery gone bad.
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The prime suspect in Saturday night’s shooting of an off-duty Border Patrol agent in a Manhattan park is an “illegal alien,” according to the Department of Homeland Security — a revelation that prompted Mayor Eric Adams to demand Sunday that he and other “violent migrants” in the Big Apple be dealt with “quickly and swiftly.”
The shooting happened just before midnight on July 19 inside Fort Washington Park in Upper Manhattan. That’s where the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Miguel Mora of the Dominican Republic, shot the off-duty officer in the face in what police believe to have been a robbery gone bad.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch reported on Sunday that the unidentified agent returned fire and struck Mora in the groin.
“The officer realized that he was being robbed and drew his service weapon in defense. The perp fired first, and an exchange of gunfire followed,” Tisch said. “The officer was struck in the forearm and in the face. This was all captured on CCTV, which also shows that the perp was injured by the gunfire.”
The Department of Homeland Security released grainy video footage of the incident, which depicted two individuals riding a red moped approaching two other individuals, including the off-duty Border Patrol agent, on a hill inside the park. A flash of gunfire can be seen as the suspect and agent confronted each other.
Officers from the 33rd Precinct rushed to the greenspace directly below the Washington Bridge after a 911 caller reported that a man had been shot.
Upon arrival at the scene, cops discovered the victim, a 42-year-old man, with gunshot wounds to his face and arm. One of the bullets entered his cheek, sources familiar with the case reported.
EMS responded and transported the victim to Harlem Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition and expected to survive.
Cops say Mora was seen limping to a moped on which he fled the scene. At 12:18 a.m. Sunday, Nunez walked into Bronx Care Hospital with wounds they say are consistent with what was sustained during the shootout. He is being held at the medical facility and is expected to be arrested later in the day with charges to shortly follow.
Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin claimed on X Sunday afternoon that Mora had entered the country illegally. Tisch seemed to confirm that information at a July 20 press conference at Harlem Hospital, stating that Mora had “entered the country illegally in 2023 through Arizona” and has a long rap sheet in the Big Apple.
“This individual has two prior arrests for domestic violence in New York, and he has an active warrant after not showing up to a court date on one of those cases. Additionally, Mr. Mora was wanted by this department on both a robbery from December 2024 and a felony assault staff from January 2025, both of which occurred in the Bronx. He is currently in our custody at Lincoln Hospital.”
Tisch and Mayor Eric Adams visited with the wounded Border Patrol agent at Harlem Hospital on Sunday. During the press conference that followed, Hizzoner issued a public rebuke of whom he called “violent asylum seekers.”
“I talked about it often, violent migrants and asylum seekers who are bringing violence and really tarnishing the reputation of those who come to this country to pursue the American dream, we have to be quick and swift to deal with those who believe they want to inflict violence,” Adams said.
The mayor did not elaborate on what he meant by saying “deal with.” He noted that Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan — with whom the mayor has had a cordial working relationship — will be coming to the Big Apple to also visit the agent.
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