Broad-daylight shooting at NYC’s Tompkins Square Park leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

NEW YORK – Two men were shot, one fatally, at New York City’s popular Tompkins Square Park in the East Village Friday morning. 

Police are searching for the gunman. 

Surveillance video shows the moment shots were fired just before 10 a.m. near East 7th Street. Sources say the two victims, 74 and 44, were shot in the back. 

One of the victims stumbled into a nearby deli, begging for help.

“He run from the park over here, collapsed over here. Called the ambulance, ambulance came and they took him,” deli worker Joe Abdo said.

Police said the 74-year-old succumbed to his injuries. The 44-year-old is in stable condition. 

The gunman took off running. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, mask, and white gloves. 

Police sources say both victims have prior arrests and they believe the shooting was drug-related.

Anyone with any information 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.    

Neighbors say safety has been top of mind lately

According to the NYPD’s crime stats, as of Monday, three people were hit by bullets so far this year in the 9th police precinct — not including Friday’s double shooting. At the same time last year, there were also three reported injuries from shootings.

Many people who live in the area say they’re scared, but not surprised.

“Most of the time I feel like I’m safe, but when I see things like this I have to second guess it. I guess you always have to be mindful of your surroundings,” Lower East Side resident Susan O’Neil said. “This keeps recurring, and it’s also in the same area in the neighborhood, so hopefully it just stops and we have some peace here.”

“Off the top of my head, I can count three or four shootings in the past few months in this adjacent area,” resident Andrew Di’matteo said. “Definitely not good for overall quality of life.”

Mayor Eric Adams says many of the city’s criminals are repeat offenders who should remain behind bars.

“Police are doing their job. They’re clearing cases. They’re making arrests. They moved 17,000 illegal guns off the streets. Far too often, those who are doing shootings, they are returned back to our streets and they don’t learn their lesson,” Adams said.