After Shooting Near School, Police Chief To Address Fears

RIVERSIDE, NY — After gunshots sparked a lockout at the Phillips Avenue Elementary School and amped up police security this week, Southampton Town Police Chief Steven Skrynecki is slated address an unsettled community.

Flanders Riverside and Northampton Community Association President Ron Fisher said he's spoken with Skrynecki, who "understands that there is worry and unease" in the community after the gunshots and lockout at the school.

Skrynecki will speak to FRNCA and community members on Monday at 6 p.m. at at the David W. Crohan Community Center.

"If you have kids at Phillips Ave., please come hear from the chief what precautions are in place, what a lockout drill means, how officers respond, etc.," Fisher said. "I think this meeting will offer a lot of peace of mind and I encourage anyone that can, to make it. We really need a showing to prove our community wants better for itself."

Translation equipment will be available for anyone who feels more comfortable participating in Spanish, he said.

The gunshots near the Phillips Avenue Elementary School in Riverside left a 16-year old boy injured and sparked a lockout and enhanced security Wednesday, police said.

Southampton Town Police have been confirmed that the male teen sustained a gunshot wound to the foot.

According to Southampton Town Police, multiple reports of gunshots came in at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Brown Street and Goodrich Avenue.Multiple patrol units responded to the area and conducted a search, police said.

Initially, no victims were located; however, a short time later police were called to Peconic Bay Medical Center for a report of a victim with a superficial gunshot wound, police said.

The Southampton Town Police Department's detective division responded to the hospital and an investigation was underway Wednesday afternoon, police said.

In addition to the lockout, a Southampton Town Police school resource officer responded and remained at the school as a safety precaution Wednesday, police said.

Detectives are asking anyone with any information to contact the Detective Division at 631-702-2230.

The FRNCA meeting will continue at 7 p.m., with candidates for school board, including Fisher, scheduled to be onhand; at 7:30 p.m., Southampton Town's head of code enforcement Steven Troyd will speak.

Patch file photo.