Spotlight on crime grows ahead of midterm elections following shooting outside home of Lee Zeldin

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Rep. Lee Zeldin speaks out after two teens were shot outside his home

New York gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin says the ongoing crime crisis hits 'extremely close to home' after the Sunday night shooting that took place while his daughters were home alone. 

Concern over rising crime across the country is continuing to grow following a shooting outside the home of New York Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin just weeks ahead of the November midterm elections.

Suffolk County Police told Fox News that the shooting, which resulted in two 17-year-olds being shot with non-life threatening injuries, happened around 2:20 p.m. on Sunday in Shirley on Long Island. 

Rep. Zeldin, R-N.Y., said in a statement that his two 16-year-old daughters were inside the home when the shooting happened while he had just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park. He added in a tweet that one of the bullets landed just 30 feet from his two daughters.

The incident appeared likely to further Republican efforts to show that crime remains one of the top issues facing voters as they head to the polls in November.

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Suffolk County Police told Fox News that the shooting outside Rep. Lee Zeldin's home happened around 2:20 p.m. on Sunday in Shirley on Long Island. (Fox News)

A recent Fox News poll indicated that voters believe Republicans are better equipped to handle the issue, which rises above other midterm issues, including abortion, something Democrats have largely focused on nationwide.

Earlier this month, a number of political strategists reiterated that point to Fox News Digital, arguing that the GOP's advantage on crime with voters would help them going into the November general election.

The FBI's annual crime report for 2021, which was released last week, showed that murders rose across the country compared to 2020, a year that saw murders spike a historical 30%.

The murder trend continued in 2021, with FBI data showing murders increased from 22,000 in 2020 to an estimated 22,900 in 2021, marking a 4.3% increase.

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Incumbent Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin (Getty Images)

Fox News' Power Rankings predict Republicans will win a majority in the House of Representatives, while the Senate remains a toss-up.

They have also rated the New York gubernatorial race between Zeldin and incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as "solid Democrat."

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Fox News' Adam Sabes and Emma Colton contributed to this report.