The victim was shot in the head along East 14th Street near Irving Place just after 5 a.m.
Authorities believe she was walking home from work at IHOP on East 14th Street when she was shot.
She was pronounced dead on the scene.
A man fled on foot north on Irving Place. No arrests were immediately made and the motive was unknown.
While police only released a vague description about the suspect, Mayor Eric Adams revealed later Thursday morning that the violence was not random.
"It appears as though the young lady was an intended target, we are unclear yet but we are going to continue, the investigation is still new," Adams said. "We don't have much more than that at this time, but again, it really highlights what the governor and I talked about yesterday and what we are continuing to talk about -- the over-proliferation of guns on our streets and people using them for violent means."
Coffee cart owner John P. heard that single gunshot as he was setting up for the day. And he said he knew exactly what it was.
"Lately it's becoming normal in the city, it's every day, every single day, if it's not in the city it's in the Bronx, it's in Brooklyn, it's becoming normal," John P. said.
The 13th Precinct has not had any murders this year until back-to-back killings over the past two days.
On Wednesday morning, a 38-year-old man was fatally stabbed in Chelsea.
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