Police Seeking Public's Help in Long Island Pellet Gun Shooting Investigations

Days after a Long Island woman was charged with shooting a New York City detective in the head with a pellet gun, New York State Police are investigating a series of other pellet gun shootings that occurred on Long Island on the same day, authorities said.

According to police, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m., a vehicle was struck by a projectile while traveling on the Southern State Parkway eastbound near Exit 30, Broadway, in Nassau County.

About a half hour later, two vehicles traveling east on Sunrise Highway east of exit 61, or County Route 51, in Southampton, were struck by projectiles fired from a brown Nissan Altima, shattering the side windows, police said.

Additionally, a fourth vehicle’s side window was struck while the motorist was driving on County Route 104 in close proximity to the Sunrise Highway incidents that same evening, police said.

All four incidents are believed to be related, police said.

Due to the similarities between the NYPD’s investigation into a pellet gun incident in Queens, where a Riverhead woman allegedly shot a detective in the head with a pellet gun, and the incidents in both Suffolk and Nassau counties, the state police and the NYPD have been working in close cooperation to resolve the cases.

Tiara Ferebee, 24, of Andrea Court, was arrested on Saturday and charged with attempted murder of a police officer, assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon/loaded firearm, and reckless endangerment, police said.

According to NYPD, the incident took place last Wednesday in the 103rd Precinct when, at 5:11 p.m., a NYPD officer in plain clothes was driving an unmarked police car west on Jamaica Avenue and 168th Street.

The passenger of a brown 2015 Nissan Altima with a Missouri license plate was heading east on Jamaica Avenue and 168th Street and discharged a pellet from a pellet gun, striking the detective on his forehead, police said.

The detective was taken to Jamaica Hospital for treatment of his injury; the shooter fled, police said.

State Police are requesting information from anyone who was traveling on the Southern State Parkway or Sunrise Highway on Oct. 12 who may have observed the brown Nissan Altima with Missouri registration YH4-H3T.

Anyone with information is asked to contact New York State Police at 631-756-3300. All calls will remain confidential.