2nd shooting in 1 week in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan; same gunman sought in both

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Friday, March 22, 2024
Gunman opens fire in Tompkins Square Park for second time in a week; no injuries
Raegan Medgie reports the latest developments from the East Village.

EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- For the second time in less than a week, shots were fired in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan.

Now, police believe the same gunman is involved in both cases.

Police say around noon Thursday, shots were fired in the park near the chess tables at the intersection of East 7th Street and Avenue A in the East Village.

One bullet appeared to have hit an apartment window.

The suspect was wearing all black and a ski mask and took off on a Citi Bike.

Police believe the shooter is the same person responsible for shooting two innocent bystanders in the same park last Saturday afternoon.

A 53-year-old was hit in the hip by a stray bullet, and a 26-year-old man was shot in the backside.

In that incident, police say the gunman was being assaulted by at least two other men when he started shooting and then ran away.

"Prior to hearing about the shooting I felt safe. Now I don't feel so safe, I'm not likely to come here for a while, there are other places I can walk," a resident said.

Detectives believe the shootings stem from an ongoing dispute.

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