Shooters on scooters gun down 4 people in New York City, killing 1, police say; suspect in custody
Authorities in New York City said shooters riding on scooters gunned down four people on Tuesday evening, leaving one dead and three others injured.
New York City Police Department Assistant Police Chief Benjamin Gurley said the shooting happened on a street corner in the Bronx after 6 p.m., when two scooters pulled up to the intersection. Two male suspects were on each scooter and passengers on the back pulled out guns and opened fire. Approximately 10 shots were fired in total, police said.
Three victims, ranging in age from 23 to 37, suffered gunshot wounds to their legs. The fourth victim, a 29-year-old man, was struck in the chest and legs, Gurley said. He later died.
"The perpetrators wore masks and hoodies to block their identities and then they fled on the scooters northbound," Gurley said.
The assistant police chief said authorities had one suspect in custody but said investigators are "unsure if they are directly tied to the incident."
Police are still investigating whether the victims were specifically targeted or if the shooting was gang-related, Gurley added.
The status of the three surviving victims was not immediately clear.
Deputy Police Commissioner Kaz Daughtry said the police department has a Community Response Team that has been working in the Bronx since April 1 to aggressively target criminals on scooters.
The team is part of a wider effort to combat crime with smaller vehicles.
"This is a prime example of why we're doing this," he said.
The department has taken 9,500 scooters, dirt bikes and ATVs off the streets since Jan. 1, including 2,500 in the Bronx, Daughtry said.
The shooting in the Bronx comes just days after the NYPD announced the end of watch for two officers, who were both shot and killed during a vehicle pursuit of a suspect.
Police officer Michael Jensen of the Syracuse Police Department and Lieutenant Michael Hoosock of the Onondaga Sheriff's Office were both killed on April 14.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.