3 shot in dispute outside Midtown, Manhattan liquor store; 2 victims innocent bystanders
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- A spray of gunfire sent people scattering in every direction in Midtown on Sunday evening.
Witnesses said they heard several back-to-back shots followed by people running in a panic. When police arrived, they discovered three men shot along West 31st Street near Broadway.
Investigators say some sort of dispute outside a liquor store quickly escalated into gunfire just before 5 p.m. Two of the three victims are believed to be innocent bystanders, including a tourist from Romania, who was walking out of the liquor store at the time.
"One of the males produced a firearm firing several rounds," NYPD Deputy Inspector Robert Hanson said.
The shooter and another suspect fled on foot towards Fifth Avenue, wearing masks or skull caps.
"I cane in right after it happened and the police response was three seconds," witness David Markovich said. "Six ambulances, EMS helicopters."
All three victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
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