NEW YORK – A verbal dispute between a 17-year-old and another man in Times Square early Saturday morning escalated into a shooting that wounded three people, including two innocent bystanders, according to FOX 5 sources.
What we know:
Police say officers heard gunshots at West 44th Street and 7th Avenue at about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9. Upon arrival, they found an 18-year-old woman with a graze wound to the neck, a 19-year-old man shot in the right foot, and a 65-year-old man shot in the left leg. The 19-year-old victim and the teenage suspect were involved in a verbal dispute, according to sources.
The suspect, a 17-year-old male, was taken into custody and questioned. Authorities say they recovered the gun at the crime scene. All three victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital and are listed in stable condition.
The shooting has left many in the area on edge, with several people expressing their concern. One person said, “Oh wow, always unfortunate to hear something like that happens here in NY…,” while a vendor added, “Yeah, I’m absolutely scared.”
The incident occurred in a designated gun-free zone, yet another shooting has taken place in the area. This follows a February shooting where a 15-year-old was arrested for allegedly shooting a tourist in the leg and firing at an NYPD officer.
Jessica Formoso, reporting for FOX 5 News, said that police patrols were seen in the area all day following the shooting.