Cops: Bronx scene of first NYC homicide for 2013

The Soundview section of the Bronx earned the dubious honor Thursday of seeing the first New York City homicide for 2013 when a 59-year-old woman was shot in the chest and killed in a public apartment complex, said police.

Police did not release the identity of the dead woman nor that of her 22-year-old daughter, who was wounded in the face in the shooting just before 1 p.m. Thursday at 1790 Story Ave. A law enforcement official who didn't want to be named said police were seeking one man for questioning. Police said there have been no arrests.

When police arrived at the apartment in the James Monroe Houses, they found the older woman unconscious and unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The daughter was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where she was listed in stable condition, police said.

The area of the Bronx where the shootings took place is covered by the 43rd Precinct, which last year recorded 18 homicides, one fewer than in 2011. Overall, the city saw 418 homicides in 2012, down from 515 in 2011. The precinct area saw a 1.3 percent increase in crime last year, less than the 3.3 percent increase citywide.

This first homicide of 2013 took place about 66 hours after the start of the New Year. In 2012, the first killing occurred 33 hours after the year started, police records show.