MALTA, NY (WRGB) — In the wake of a deadly police-involved shooting at the Ellsworth Commons Apartments, community members are coming together to support affected residents. Police reported that officers were forced to shoot a man earlier this month after he pointed a BB gun at them during a response to a domestic violence call. The incident resulted in a bullet striking a water pipe, causing flooding in several units.
In response, the community hosted an “Easter Basket Donation Drive and Giveaway” for residents of Building Two. Organizers noted that various towns and businesses have contributed donations to aid those displaced by the flooding. The event is collecting essential items such as personal hygiene and laundry products.
Angela McFarland, a resident of Ellsworth Commons, said, “Things are, you know, difficult here. People are scared. There’s a lot of questions to be answered and everybody is trying their best to navigate their uncertainty.”
“Our focus specifically was for people who could go back to their apartments to at least present a gesture, that the world isn’t a terrible scary place, that there are people genuinely who want to help and say, I’m sorry for what you have been through,” McFarland added.