Search for gunman after 4 men shot on Harlem sidewalk
NEW YORK - Four men are recovering at the hospital after being shot overnight in Harlem.
It happened on West 116th Street just before midnight.
Police have not released many details, except that all the victims are men in their 20s, and one of them is in serious condition.
The crime scene stretches nearly an entire block on 116th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.
The four men were shot Tuesday just before midnight. They were standing on the sidewalk when another man was seen opening fire on them.
They were taken to a nearby hospital where three of them are expected to be OK, one in serious condition.
Police aren't sure if the victims were the intended targets.
"That's crazy. Four people. Gun violence is so crazy these days," said Harlem resident Brandon Jackson. " It makes me feel unsafe to be honest. It can be anybody."
In multiple cases, innocent bystanders have become victims, but the NYPD is reassuring residents that gun violence is down.
The latest crime statistics from the NYPD show shootings are on the decline this year compared to this same time last year. At least 145 fewer shootings as of Tuesday, but those numbers aren't enough to convince some New Yorkers who want out.
"If I had the means, I wouldn't be living in New York. I don't want to live in the city anymore. There's no secure place to live, to work, to go around," said Jacqueline Garcia, who works in the area.
"Me hearing about this, four people being shot tonight, is unbelievable. I think the gun violence truly has to come to a stop," a Harlem man named Leonidis told CBS2. "The streets have to become safer for the men, women and children who live in the area."
Officers have been combing through the area for evidence they hope will lead them to the suspect. Where he is, what he looks like, and why he did it remains unsolved, for now.
People Westbrook spoke to have been wondering if the shooting is connected to a double shooting that happened Tuesday afternoon on 125th Street. That's being investigated. The gunman in that case is also on the run.
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
