Two people enjoying the warm weather in Tompkins Square Park on Saturday were shot after being caught in the crossfire when bullets rang out, police and eyewitnesses said.
The episode terrified parkgoers enjoying the spring-like weather, and sent them running for cover.
According to authorities and witnesses, the trouble began when two men were arguing in the popular East Village hangout point. A man wearing a ski mask apparently became enraged and fired haphazardly — striking the bystanders instead.
“I saw them getting taken away on a stretcher, one guy was screaming. The lady looked okay, I couldn’t see any blood,” Colin told amNewYork Metro who says he has lived in the area for about a year after moving to the city from Arkansas. “Statistically I know New York is a safe city but it does not feel good when it happens where you live.”
Officers from the 9th Precinct rushed to the scene to discover a 26-year-old with a bullet wound to the buttocks and a 53-year-old woman who suffered a bullet wound to the hip.
Both victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital where they are expected to survive.
“I just heard four pops; it was really scary. I ran, oh I ran,” Olivia Nagle said, stating she saw the gunman flee. “He was wearing a ski mask. Everyone was watching them carry out the woman on the stretcher.”
An eyewitness who was by the entrance of the park told amNewYork Metro that the shooting stemmed from less of an argument and more of an attack.
“Some guy was jumping another guy over something stolen. One of them brought and gun and started shootings and hit a woman who was sitting on a bench,” a man who did not want to be identified said. “It sounded like fireworks. I ran across the street. I didn’t know what to do.”
Detectives quickly sealed off half the park as they investigated. No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @nypdtips.
All calls and messages are kept confidential.
