2 teens, 2 adults injured in shooting at Queens playground
NEW YORK -- Four people were shot inside a Queens playground Tuesday.
It happened just after 6 p.m. at the London Planetree Playground at 88th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Ozone Park.
Witnesses told CBS2's Alecia Reid it was a chilling scene inside the playground, where families were out with their children. Once the gunfire erupted, people started running for their lives.
For hours police combed the scene inside the London Planetree Playground, the crime scene spanning the entire park.
"I heard shots going off. It sounded like maybe, like I said, anywhere from six to eight shots. It was continuous ... It just kept going off and off," one man said.
At least four people were wounded. Sources tell CBS2 they were in the basketball section of the playground when they were caught in the crossfire between opposing groups.
"It was chaotic. All the kids were running out. The kids were crying. The parents were crying. We were trying to calm the kids down because they just witnessed people, the kids actually witnessed people getting shot in front of them," said Sam Esposito, president of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association.
Witnesses say they believe that the shooting was gang-related and that the park has had issues with gangs in the past.
A vehicle pulled up, shooters got out and ran inside the park. The two groups started firing at each other before they hopping back in their vehicle and taking off.
"People were chasing them. They actually were chasing the car, but the car turned on 87th Street and went north," Esposito said.
Police are now looking for that dark-colored SUV.
The victims caught in the crossfire are 15, 16, 20 and 32 years old. Police sources tell us they are expected to survive.
"I'm not surprised by anything anymore. I really ain't. It's going on all the time," one man said.
Witnesses say at least two of the shooters were wearing ski masks.
Police continue to search for leads, including surveillance cameras in the area.
As of this hour, the suspects are still on the loose.
