Her son was killed in Brooklyn. At Thursday’s hearing, she told the council it’s an ‘island’ devoid of services.

Less than six months after her son was killed in the 800 block of Gretna Court, Donna Bruce watched with horror on Instagram Live as the Brooklyn Day event she knew well devolved into a chaotic shooting on that same street, without a police officer in sight. Bruce, who grew up in the neighborhood but moved out more than a decade ago, said she was not shocked to see the event go unpoliced and turn violent.