NYPD: Queens bar patron opened fire, shot 2, in retaliation for being kicked out
NEW YORK -- An overnight shooting at a bar in Queens has sent two people to the hospital. According to police, the victims work for the New York City Department of Correction.
Police are still searching for the suspect, who was seen fleeing the scene in a white Nissan.
Bullets pierced through Showtime Bar and Lounge early Saturday morning on 101st Avenue in Richmond Hill, shattering the front windows and all sense of security, CBS2's Christina Fan reported.
Police said the suspect, a disgruntled patron, was thrown out of the bar over a dispute. Investigators said he left around 1:30 a.m. and, once outside, proceeded to shoot into the bar.
The victims were hit at random. A 31-year-old man was shot in the left hand. A 32-year-old woman was shot in the ankle. They were rushed to Jamaica Hospital and are expected to be OK.
A surveillance camera from a nearby business captured the chaos unfolding afterwards on the street.
Samuel Sukhu lives around the corner and says a friend alerted him to the mayhem on the street.
"I didn't want to go outside on the street. I didn't want to open the door because I'm scared. I don't know if he's out there," he told CBS2's Thalia Perez.
The shooting adds to the latest crime statistics, which show incidents across New York City are up 10 percent compared to the same period in 2021 and 58 percent compared to 2020.
Neighbors say shootings like this are becoming more frequent in the area.
"Now it's getting where you can't even walk down the street without something happening. I lived here all my life, this area all my life, and it's getting worse and worse every day," neighbor Steven Mastrosimone said.
Friday, Mayor Eric Adams joined Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in demanding gun violence solutions from the federal government. The mayors asked for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to be better funded and for there to be a focus on illegal gun manufacturers.
"We're pro-public safety and justice. This is not touchy-feely and saying let's ignore the crime that we're facing. No. We're saying the way you deal with crime is to prevent crime while you're dealing with what's taking place right now. It's an entirely new way of thinking about public safety," Adams said.
