Suspect arrested in man's fatal shooting outside NYC's Dream Hotel in Chelsea
CHELSEA, Manhattan (WABC) -- Police say they've made an arrest in the fatal shooting outside of the Dream Hotel in Chelsea last week.
Robert Johnson, 26, of West Babylon, is now facing charges of murder, assault, and criminal possession of a firearm.
Police say 25-year-old Byron Morales, of Brooklyn, was gunned down just after midnight outside the Dream Hotel on West 16th Street between 8th and 9th avenues early last Thursday.
Morales is believed to have just left Tao Downtown Restaurant, located next door, and authorities say there was some type of dispute outside of the club that led to the shooting.
He was struck in the torso and rushed to Lenox Hill HealthPlex, where he later died.
The motive remains unclear.
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With clubs reopening and businesses allowed to stay open past midnight, there were several witnesses who saw the aftermath.
"There's just too much crime in the city these days, they have to increase police funding," one witness said. "There's just too much violence going on in the city now. It's a reminder of the old days, we have to increase security in the city. It's sad, it's scary."
"NYPD is doing more gun arrests than ever before," Mayor Bill de Blasio said when asked about the surge in gun violence. "Communities are working more closely with the NYPD again. We're going to turn this around."
(Featured video in player from previous report)
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