WELCOME TO TIMES SQUARE

Innocent bystanders, including a 4-year-old girl, shot during argument in Times Square

 

By Tina Moore, Larry Celona, Joe Marino, Dana Kennedy and Eileen AJ Connelly

 

New York Post

May 8, 2021 

Three innocent bystanders — including a 4-year-old girl who was toy shopping with her family — were shot Saturday in Times Square when a man arguing with three other people wildly fired into the late afternoon crowd, according to police and sources.

The bullets flew at 4:55 p.m. outside of 1515 Broadway, along West 44th Street, when the dispute turned the Crossroads of the World into a shooting gallery and shocked even hardened members of New York’s Finest.

“How many kids have to be shot before we take this seriously, we just had a 1-year-old’s homicide cleared this week,” NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said. “How many more kids do we need to be shot before we realize that bad policies have consequences.”

 

In the shooting, a 23-year-old woman was struck in the right thigh, a 43-year-old woman was hit in the left foot and a 4-year-old girl was hit in the left leg, police said.

The child was identified as Skye Martinez, of Brooklyn, sources said. She was in Times Square to buy toys, according to Shea.

The adult victims are Wendy Magrinat from Rhode Island — who was in the city to see the Statue of Liberty, but missed her ride and went to Times Square instead — and Marcela Aldana of New Jersey, sources said.

Magrinat, 23, was waiting in line at the BT21 store with her family, according to WNBC.

Her husband was reportedly holding their 2-year-old when she was stuck by a bullet.

“I started screaming, asking for help, it was really scary,” Magrinat told the local station.

“Thank God it didn’t break my bone, but it did go inside. The doctor said he wouldn’t do any surgery or take out the bullet, it would do more damage.”

People started running away from the scene as soon as shots rang out, with parents grabbing children by the hands and shouting as they fled the area, livestream footage of Times Square shows. 

Within seconds, the area was nearly empty, as emergency vehicles rushed to help victims.

Police were in the area and rendered aid immediately. The victims were rushed to Bellevue Hospital and are expected to survive, the sources said.

The city’s top cop blamed the violence on the proliferation of illegal guns in the boroughs.

“We need action and we need policies regarding laws to have consequences for that policy. We’ve gone over it many times I think you’re seeing it play out and it’s time,” he said at a press conference.

The shooter may have fled on public transit, and was captured on surveillance video, which was released by police.

 

                                                 The suspected Times Square shooter

 

A grainy image released by officials shows a slim black man wearing black pants, a black long sleeved shirt, white sneakers and a hat.

Police recognized the unidentified shooter as a local street hustler, who was possibly involved in peddling rap CDs or selling drugs, sources told The Post.

Streets around Times Square were closed to traffic amid the chaotic aftermath.

Sakho Khadim described hearing two shots — and seeing a toddler covered in blood.

“The cops grabbed the baby and put him in the ambulance,” Khadim said. “The (woman) was crying. She said ‘I’m good.’”

She then motioned to cops with a thumbs up, Khadim said.

Ciro Iova, who was at McDonald’s, said he heard three shots and saw a woman who looked to be in her late 20s on the ground.

“She was crying out for assistance,” he said.

Jesse Singh was trying to deliver pizza near a Rayban store when he heard screams, but not shots, and people started running.

“I didn’t know what was going on so I started running in the opposite direction. Now I’m stuck behind barricades with these pizzas,” Singh said.

The shooting comes as the city has started touting its grand re-opening after being shut down because of the pandemic.

The $30 million tourism campaign comes amid a 83 percent hike in the number of people shot in 2021, compared to the same time last year, and a 93 percent increase compared to 2019, according to police statistics released last week.

 

              NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea at Times Square press conference

 

“When is this going to end?,” Shea asked. “How many more people have to be injured, pushed in front of a train, or in this case, a young four year old — toy shopping — shot.”

“It is still a safe city, it is a great city, but we need help.”

“There’s a direct correlation between this uptick in shootings and bail reform laws and city council laws that handcuffed the police,” Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo said. “The people suffering are the people of New York City and the people coming to visit the city.”

“Horrible. What is it going to take? When will our leaders admit they have made a mistake? If this doesn’t shock them to reality, what will?” the NYPD PBA tweeted.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association ripped the city in a series of tweets, one of which discouraged tourists from coming to New York.

“Live from Times Square Disney in NYC the center of the world & the “Happiest Place on Earth” where 4 year old girls are shot in broad day light, only feet away from a police precinct,” the NYPD union wrote.

“Tourist avoid NYC don’t become a victim, please go to the real Disney in Florida.”

They also provocatively tweeted: “Business Lives Matter – Breaking News restaurant Tito Murphy’s had 60 reservation cancellations tonight because of the shooting in Times Square. Welcome to Deblasio’s NYC.”

Candidate for mayor, and former NYPD officer, Eric Adams said the “gun violence will mean the end of business for New York City,” as he addressed reporters in Times Square after the rampage.

“Thirty years ago we cleaned up Times Square and tourists returned to this location. This is a multi billion dollar industry and we’re not going to recover as a city if we turn back time and see all this gun violence,” the Democrat said.

“We are dealing with a gun violence crisis. Thirty years later we are back where we started.”