New York Rep. Lee Zeldin Comments on Shooting in Front of Twin Daughters: 'They Acted Very Swiftly'

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Rep. Lee Zeldin

Two people were shot outside the home of New York Rep. Lee Zeldin in Long Island, New York, on Sunday.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:20 p.m. Sunday. In a statement, the 42-year-old GOP politician told Fox News that his twin daughters were home at the time and there are two suspects involved.

"My 16-year-old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at our house doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park," the congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate said.

He added that after Arianna and Mikayla "heard the gunshots and the screaming," the teens "ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911."

"They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them," Zeldin told Fox News.

In a press release sent to PEOPLE, the Suffolk County Police Department stated about the crime, "Three teenagers were walking on Saint George Drive West when a dark-colored vehicle went by and an occupant fired multiple gunshots through the vehicle's window at 2:19 p.m."

"Two 17-year-old males were struck and attempted to hide in the yard of a residence on the street. The third teen fled the scene on foot.The two 17-year-olds, who are from Mastic and Mastic Beach, were transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.At this time investigators have no reason to believe there is any connection between the shooting and the residence on Saint George Drive West," the police department added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Rep. Lee Zeldin

In terms of the two suspects, Zeldin told Fox News that he is unaware of who they are.

"My understanding is that they have been transported to area hospitals. I do not know their identities," he told Fox News. "Law enforcement is currently at our house."

"There was blood in the rock right next to the porch. One of the shooting victims was underneath the porch. The other was underneath bushes near the porch," Zeldin said in his statement.

"My entire family is at home working with the investigators and providing the security footage from our home cameras," he added.

"Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door. My family is grateful to all who have reached out and we will provide another update when we can," Zeldin said.

Zeldin, who is running to replace Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, has made addressing violent crime a major part of his platform. As the Associated Press reports, newly released FBI data shows that violent crime rates didn't increase substantially last year, though rates of violent crime have increased since the pandemic.