Shooting Near Battery Park Leaves 2 People Hospitalized
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Two people were shot near Battery Park in Lower Manhattan Monday afternoon, and police were questioning a man hours later.
The shooting happened at around 3:15 p.m. at Washington Street between Battery Place and Morris Street.
The area is directly across the street from Battery Park, alongside one of the ventilation towers that services the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
There was a massive police presence on the scene Monday afternoon -- as CBS2's Lou Young reported, it was an unusual spot for this kind of crime.
The shooting was an apparent turf war between two men who were hawking tickets to the Statue of Liberty, sources said.
The area is known for ticket hustlers who sell tickets for tours to the Statue of Liberty and other attractions around Lower Manhattan.
One woman who was questioned by police as a witness said she heard two shots.
The two men were quarreling before the shooting started, and at least one of them pulled out a gun. Several shots were fired.
"I just heard two very loud noises, and I said, 'that must be gunshots," Susan Holmgren said. "It's usually very quiet."
A 36-year-old woman - a bystander - was shot in the leg and rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in stable condition.
A coworker said the woman works at a housing nonprofit.
"A very nice person; a very friendly person," coworker Felix Okema told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman. "She gets along with everybody."
One witness says shooter walked up behind victim, shot her in back of leg, and calmly walked away. pic.twitter.com/xetaxkM2uK
— Alex Silverman (@AlexSilverman) April 24, 2017
Scene of shooting just outside Battery Park. Woman shot in leg, injuries not life threatening. Tourists moving freely. pic.twitter.com/mCgUVktwIj
— Alex Silverman (@AlexSilverman) April 24, 2017
Officers flooded the area and swept down into the subway system to try to block the shooter's getaway. But they did not find him at the time.
"They run into the subway, and the police jump over the turnstiles, and they must be chasing somebody, but I didn't see the gunshot here," said witness Vivian Lee. "It's very scary."
A short time later, police stopped a car on the Brooklyn Bridge and found a 40-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the torso. He was rushed to a hospital in Brooklyn. Police were questioning the injured man, and said the injured man seemed to be the target of the attack.
Meanwhile, the alleged shooter was being questioned at the First Precinct police stationhouse late Monday. The gun was not found.
The bystander and the man who was apparently targeted were both expected to recover.