Three teens shot, wounded in Times Square as tourists run for cover
Three teens were shot and wounded in Times Square, sending tourists scurrying for cover, police said Tuesday.
Shots rang out on W. 42nd St. near Seventh Ave. at about 11:50 p.m. Monday, cops said.
A 15-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were both shot in the leg and taken by medics to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.
A 17-year-old boy, grazed in his armpit, got to Harlem Hospital by private means and is also in stable condition.
The victims were part of a group of about two dozen people all riding Citi Bikes, cops said. The shooter meanwhile was with a group of about eight people who exited the subway station at W. 40th St. and Seventh Ave.
When the groups crossed paths, the gunman pulled out a weapon and fired eight shots, hitting the three teens.
Cops said video they have recovered shows the gunman earlier having an argument with the victims.
The shooter, wearing shorts, a hoodie and carrying a brown backpack, was spotted fleeing back into the train station through an entrance at 42nd St. and Eighth Ave.
The latest shooting fits the profile of two of the latest crime trends: Despite statistics that show violent crime is subsiding, fear is on the rise and more of the shootings involve young people.
The locale only makes it worse.
Images of guns blazing and tourists scampering at the Crossroads of the World do nothing to improve the city’s image, law enforcement officials said.
Last year, the busy Midtown South Precinct, which covers Times Square, saw substantial jumps in grand larceny, burglaries and robberies in the first 10 months.
The spike alarmed locals, who feared a return to the “bad old days” and a diminishing quality of life.
The coronavirus pandemic also paved the way for a partial resurgence of the violent and sleazy side of Times Square. Cops at the time said that a spike in shootings, assaults and robberies was fueled in part by emboldened street hustlers who seemed to take over while tourists were away.
In 2021, a stray bullet pierced a window of Times Squares’ famous Broadway TKTS booth that offers discounted same-day tickets to Broadway shows.
