What Happened
At least one gunshot was fired in the backyard of a home on Columbus Avenue near Rutgers Road in West Babylon shortly after 4 p.m. on Monday, August 18, 2026, according to News 12 Long Island. Suffolk County Police Department investigators responded and are handling the case.
One witness, West Babylon resident Kristin Ieva, told News 12 she heard the shot and initially mistook it for a firework. “I thought that maybe it was a firework because I know there’s a lot of fireworks near my house, but I definitely thought it sounded different,” Ieva said. She also claims she saw three people run out of the home wearing ski masks immediately after the shot was fired.
The incident happened in the middle of the afternoon, in full daylight. Suffolk County police investigators confirmed to News 12 Long Island that no one was injured and no property damage was reported.
No arrests had been announced as of the initial report, filed at 5:17 a.m. on August 18, 2026 by News 12’s Jonathan Gordon. Suffolk County police said the matter remains under active investigation.
Location & Road Context
Columbus Avenue near Rutgers Road sits in a residential section of West Babylon, a hamlet in the Town of Babylon in southwestern Suffolk County. The area is a dense suburban neighborhood, and the midday timing on a Monday brought the incident into close proximity to residents who were home.
Suffolk County is one of the most active jurisdictions tracked by this site, with 781 recorded incidents in our Suffolk County accident and incident database. Recent public-safety activity in the county has included multiple roadway crashes along the Southern State Parkway and I-495 in the days immediately preceding this incident.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Suffolk County Police Department investigators are conducting the inquiry into the Columbus Avenue shooting, according to News 12 Long Island. The department has not announced charges, identified suspects by name, or confirmed whether the three individuals seen fleeing in ski masks have been located.
No weapon was reported recovered in initial accounts. The next known step in the case is a formal update from Suffolk County police, who have not set a timeline for completing the investigation.