5 shootings in 48 hours in the Bronx, 3 teens among victims; police search for gunmen
MOUNT HOPE, The Bronx -- Two teenagers who are believed to be innocent bystanders were shot in the Bronx, police said. They were among five such shootings in just 48 hours in the borough.
Surveillance video shows the moments of the brazen shooting on East 176th Street when a gunman casually walks and fires as people run in the middle of the day.
"When I heard the shots I ran up here. I didn't even bother go there to see who it was," witness Luis Ayala said.
Officers responded to 176th Street in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx just after 1 p.m. for reports of two people shot.
Two 17-year-olds were taken to Columbia Presbyterian and are expected to survive.
One was shot in the neck and the second male was shot in the arm, police said.
A male suspect fled eastbound on 176th Street, police said.
Police said at least five shots were fired from a distance and police so far don't believe the two victims were the intended targets.
The shooter can be seen on surveillance video calmly walking across the street and opening fire.
Witnesses heard six or seven shots fired, and people who heard the sound knew exactly what it was, and many of them ducked for cover.
Then, after 10 p.m. another 17-year-old was shot and then a 50-year-old man was shot just a few blocks away. Both are expected to recover but police are trying to confirm if the two shootings are connected. Police believe that the gunmen were on a Citi Bike when the violence spilled onto the Bronx streets.
Police say a 15-year-old was shot in the right leg, just before midnight on Wednesday.
Neighbors say the area has been dealing with gang violence.
"They've been shooting since last night. It escalated to in the morning." one witness said.
With summery weather, police say there's always a spike in gun violence. On Wednesday there were six shootings.
Late Wednesday night, an 30-year-old man was shot in the head and killed near Times Square.
A 21-year-old man died after being shot near his home on West 17th street in Chelsea.
But in spite of the violence this week, NYPD Chief of Department John Chell tells Eyewitness News there has been a significant 22% drop in shootings in 2025 and 43 fewer homicides so far. The city is on track to returning to pre-pandemic lows.
"The ship is turning. We're starting to come back," Chell said.
He credits a combination of police-community strategies.
But a troubling statistic is up with youth violence including teenage victims and perpetrators.
"There's a dramatic rise, high double-digit rise in both those areas, double-digit rise in kids killed, received firearms. Raise the age did affect that, no doubt about it," Chell said.
The Raise the Age law kept people under 18, who are caught with guns, from facing more serious weapons charges.
The 46th Precinct in the Bronx has had its hands full Thursday with several unrelated incidents but detectives are still looking for the shooter dressed in all black from Thursday afternoon.
The investigation is ongoing.
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
