Bystander shot in Times Square, NYPD says
The NYPD will "flood the zone" around Times Square after a 21-year-old bystander was shot by a stray bullet Sunday afternoon — the second shooting of its kind in the city's top tourism destination spot in less than two months, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday.
The shooting, which was captured on surveillance footage, occurred at 5:17 p.m. in front of the New York Marriott Marquis hotel at 1535 Broadway, as one individual engaged in a heated argument with several other individuals, said NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison.
The lone individual pulled out a gun and began shooting several times, with one bullet ricocheting and hitting the unintended victim in the back, Harrison said. The man was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and listed in stable condition Monday, the NYPD said.
There have been no arrests connected to the shooting.
"After this shooting, and the one a few weeks ago, it's important we put a lot more of a police presence there," Harrison said.
During his daily news briefing Monday, de Blasio said the NYPD will immediately "flood the zone in Times Square with additional officers" to ensure the tourist hot spot is safe.
"This is absolutely unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," the mayor said as he announced the Time Square Safety Action Plan. "We've now seen patterns that we are going to address very, very aggressively."
Harrison said the NYPD will also crack down on aggressive panhandling and the hawking of CDs by street vendors and could deploy undercover officers to monitor the situation.
The prior incident occurred May 8 when three innocent bystanders, including a 4-year-old girl, were shot in Times Square.
Police arrested Farrakhan Muhammad, 31, last month, in Florida in connection with that shooting, which sent crowds fleeing and reignited more discussion about the recent surge in city violence.
On Monday morning, the NYPD released surveillance footage of Sunday's suspected shooter, as well as still photographs, asking anyone with information about the individual, or the incident, to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS — or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
All calls will remain confidential. Tipsters also can submit tips online at the NYPD Crime Stoppers website or through Twitter @NYPDTips.
With John Valenti and Dandan Zou
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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