As New York City grappled with the aftermath of Monday night’s mass shooting, the undertones of the mayoral election in November were on display.
Mayor Eric Adams tried to play the role of crisis manager as his chief opponent, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, moved quickly to return home from a vacation in Uganda.
The shooting, which claimed the lives of four victims, including a New York City police officer, was the first high-profile crisis to occur during the general election campaign.
With crime falling in the city this year, public safety was not a major issue in the Democratic primary campaign. Last month, Mr. Mamdani decisively beat a crowded primary field that included former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is now running as an independent in November, like Mr. Adams.
But the shooting may put concerns over gun violence back on voters’ minds, and may lead some to further scrutinize Mr. Mamdani, who has relatively limited experience in government and has not handled a high-profile crisis while in office.
Mr. Mamdani, 33, a democratic socialist, embraced calls to “defund the police” in 2020 but no longer supports doing so. While some other mayoral candidates have called for hiring thousands of police officers, Mr. Mamdani has said that he would keep the police head count at its current level and create a new city agency focused on addressing mental health issues.
Mr. Mamdani was traveling back to New York City on Tuesday and planned to arrive by early Wednesday, according to a person who was familiar with the matter.
But some of his foes have already begun highlighting his past support for defunding the police, including Mr. Cuomo, who argued in an interview that it was disqualifying.
“He clearly does not understand what public safety is all about,” Mr. Cuomo said. “And he clearly does not understand the role of the police, the sacrifice they’re making.”
Representative Elise Stefanik, Republican of New York, who is contemplating challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul next year, also used the shooting as an opportunity to criticize Mr. Mamdani. She referred to him on social media as “Kathy Hochul’s very own Commie Mamdani. A disgrace and truly unfit to be Mayor of NYC.” (Mr. Mamdani is not a communist.)
Ms. Hochul defended Mr. Mamdani in an appearance on CNN on Tuesday when asked about Ms. Stefanik’s criticism.
“That’s about as pathetic as it gets,” she said. “I mean, seriously, going after an unelected official who said something back in 2020 when many people were — I mean, come on, give me a break.”
She also criticized Ms. Stefanik for federal budget cuts that hurt New York and for her stances on gun control. “Stand up to the gun lobby and show that you have the courage to do something that’s actually pretty useful,” Ms. Hochul said, “instead of just complaining about tweets.”
Mr. Mamdani responded to the shooting on social media shortly after it occurred, like the other candidates for mayor. On Monday evening, before the number of deaths was confirmed, he said that he held “the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts. Grateful for all of our first responders on the ground.”
Early Tuesday morning, Mr. Mamdani posted a tribute to Officer Didarul Islam, the police officer who was shot and killed.
“When he joined the police department, his mother asked him why he would pursue such a dangerous job,” Mr. Mamdani wrote. “He told her it was to leave behind a legacy that his family could be proud of. He has done that, and more. I pray for him, his family, and honor the legacy of service and sacrifice he leaves behind.”
Mr. Mamdani’s posts on the shooting were similar to those made by top congressional leaders, like Representative Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, and Mr. Cuomo, who also issued two statements.
Mr. Cuomo’s first post noted his gratitude “for the courage of our NYPD and first responders, and my prayers are with the victims and their families.”
By Tuesday morning, he had followed up with a post about Officer Islam: “Officer Didarul Islam’s courage was as boundless as his love for this city. He gave his life protecting New Yorkers. A hero. We honor his sacrifice and the quiet bravery of every NYPD officer who stands the watch so we can live free.”
Mr. Adams, who is running for a second term with record-low approval ratings, is a former police officer who has mourned the deaths of officers and met with their families. In his first month as mayor in 2022, two officers were killed when they responded to a domestic dispute in Manhattan, and Mr. Adams spoke at their funerals.
On Monday, Mr. Adams visited the scene of the shooting and then went to the hospital to meet with Officer Islam’s family. He held a news conference with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to update the public. After midnight, he posted a solemn video on his way to honor the officer.
“This is a constant reminder of those officers, men and women who place their lives on the line every day for us,” he said.
Mr. Mamdani’s trip to Uganda, where he was born and lived as a child, was to celebrate his recent marriage at his family’s compound in Kampala. The trip was intended to be a respite after months of long days on the campaign trail and more ahead during the general election.
Mr. Adams took a trip to Europe in the summer of 2021 after winning that year’s Democratic primary and refused to tell reporters where he was going; it later came out that he went to Monaco. He also traveled to Ghana that year.
Mr. Cuomo used Mr. Mamdani’s trip to Uganda to take a dig at him on social media, highlighting a story by The New York Post and asking readers to choose the “correct term” to describe the wedding celebration — “champagne socialism” or “trust fund socialism.”
Mr. Cuomo said in the interview that he thought Mr. Mamdani’s trip, which lasted about a week and a half, had been ill-advised.
“I don’t understand why you go to Uganda for two weeks, frankly, in the middle of a campaign,” Mr. Cuomo said, adding: “I didn’t take a two-week vacation in 16 years. I’ve never heard of that.”
Mr. Mamdani did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Mamdani’s trip also prompted bad-faith questions about his right to cross the U.S. border. President Trump and other Republicans have for weeks questioned his U.S. citizenship status and called for him to be deported. Mr. Mamdani has lived in New York City since 1998, when he was 7 years old. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018.
On Monday night, Laura Loomer, an ally of Mr. Trump, attacked Mr. Mamdani on social media and posted a poll asking whether Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, should “block Mamdani from re-entering the U.S. from Uganda.”
Grace Ashford contributed reporting.
Emma G. Fitzsimmons is the City Hall bureau chief for The Times, covering Mayor Eric Adams and his administration.
Jeffery C. Mays is a Times reporter covering politics with a focus on New York City Hall.
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