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South Jamaica woman dies after being shot in stomach

By Courtney Dentch

Kimberly Clark-Gardner, 25, of 129-08 142nd St. in South Jamaica, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center about 12:30 a.m. police said. Clark-Gardner died at the hospital just after 4 a.m., a hospital spokeswoman said.

Lorenzo Thornton, 23, of Brooklyn, who was believed to be Clark-Gardner's boyfriend, was arrested Tuesday night and charged in the shooting, police said. Thornton was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and weapons possession, but details on the incident were unavailable, police said.

Emergency workers initially reported that Clark-Gardner said she was five-months' pregnant, but doctors confirmed she was not carrying a child, the hospital spokeswoman said. It was unclear why she may have said she was pregnant, police said.

Neighbors said Clark-Gardner lived in the 142nd Street home with her son and daughter, and her sister and cousins may live there as well.

“There were always a lot of people coming and going at all hours – until 2 in the morning,” one man said.

His wife, who had known Clark-Gardner since she was about 7 years old, remembered her as a caring person, she said.

“She was a very nice girl,” she said, “a quiet girl. I'm just sorry this happened.”

The family declined to comment.