BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | A gunman reportedly on an electric bicycle sprayed at least half-a-dozen shots on W. 14th St. near the Meatpacking District in the early morning of Sat., May 27, wounding four men standing on the sidewalk.
Police said the two-wheeled, gun-wielding thug rolled up around 3:25 a.m. and starting blasting at the four victims, who were standing outside the High End Deli (320 W. 14th St. btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.), before zipping off on the bike.
According to police, one victim, age 41, was hit with several bullets in the arms and torso. Another man, 42, was also shot in the torso and arm. A second 42-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the back. Meanwhile, a fourth victim, age 35, suffered a graze wound to the back.
According to the Daily News, a private black SUV rushed two of the injured men — one shot in his stomach and groin, the other shot in his stomach — to Bellevue Hospital. Another victim was transported also to Bellevue by first responders with a bullet wound to the chest, according to the Post. The fourth victim refused medical treatment at the scene.
All three men treated at Bellevue were in stable condition, the two tabloids reported.
The day after the shooting, police asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the whereabouts of two individuals — a man and a woman — wanted in connection with the shooting: Ricardo Daniell, age 31, who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds; and Paola Betances, 22, standing 5 feet tall and weighing 140 pounds. Police also released a video showing a man and a woman dancing at the nearby Ipanema bar (252 W. 14th St., btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.) about a half hour before the shooting, and the man then getting on an electric-powered bike and riding off eastward.
Police also provided photos of the bike rider subsequently dressed differently — wearing a hood and baseball cap. The News reported that the shooter allegedly did a wardrobe change before he ambushed the victims.
The gunman was still at large as this publication went to press on Wed., May 31.
Following the “bike-by shooting,” police closed the crosstown block between Eighth and Ninth Aves. to pedestrian and car traffic as they conducted an investigation. At least 14 crime-scene markers were left on the street, showing where spent bullet casings had landed, plus possibly where other crime-scene objects had been. Police also were taking 360-degree photos at the scene.
Speaking to The Villager (our sister publication) on Sat., May 24, a police spokesperson initially said the suspect had been “tracking” the victims, but he then declined to confirm that, saying the case was still under investigation. The spokesperson said six 9-millimeter bullet-shell casings had been recovered at the scene. A police e-mail news bulletin on the shooting said the man had “fired multiple times” at the victims.
It wasn’t immediately clear what sparked the shooting. Asked if the victims and suspect knew each other, the spokesperson, again, said it’s all still under investigation.
The block of W. 14th St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves. is usually bustling early Saturday mornings with revelers going to and from “Meatpacking” and the A/C/E subway at the corner of 14th St. and Eighth Ave. Other popular food spots on the south side of the block near the deli where the shooting occurred include Insomnia Cookies, which had already closed at 3 a.m. at the time of the “bike-by,” as well as Istanbul Grill and Rocky’s Brick Oven Pizza, which were both still open at the time the gunfire erupted.
Anyone with information about the shooting incident is asked to call the Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline, at 800-577-TIPS, or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Web site, nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting them to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577. All tips are confidential.
—With reporting by Tequila Minsky
