A gunman allegedly shot at a motorcyclist in Times Square early Wednesday morning in what marked the third time in three months someone has fired a weapon in the tourism hotspot putting innocent bystanders in danger.
Officers with the NYPD responded to calls reporting shots fired around 12:40 a.m. near 7th Ave. and 41st St. in Midtown, "Freedom News TV reported. Nobody was injured in the shooting and no arrests have been made.
A man reportedly involved in the shooting said he was with a group on bikes who were cut off, he told the outlet off camera. The group went to 'have words' with the driver of the vehicle when at least one person shot at them.
At least four shots were fired when the white Mercedes clipped a motorcyclist, 32, in the bus lane - leaving him with knee and elbow injuries, NYPD officials told the New York Daily News.
The shooting on Wednesday was the third shooting in New York City since May. Bystanders are pictured in Times Square after a shooting on June 27
Then, a U.S. Marine was injured in another shooting on June 27 when he was hit by a ricocheting bullet at W. 45th St. and Seventh Ave.
A friend of the motorcyclist, 22, confronted a group of men standing by the car when someone in the group started firing, cops told the Daily News. The Mercedes then sped off as the alleged shooter fled on foot.
An NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com in a statement that the 22-year-old man has filed a police report for attempted assault.
'He was involved in a dispute with unknown individuals when one of the males displayed a black firearm and fired multiple shots in his direction. The reporter was not injured as a result,' the spokesperson said.
The shooting incident marks the third time shots have rung out in Times Square since May 8 when two adults and a four-year-old girl named Skye Martinez were hit with stray bullets.
Farrakhan Muhammad, the alleged gunman, had reportedly started shooting over a street vendor 'turf war.' He allegedly fled the Big Apple after the shooting and was arrested days later in Florida.
Then a U.S. Marine was injured in another shooting on June 27 when he was hit by a ricocheting bullet at W. 45th St. and Seventh Ave., police said.
A breakdancer, 16-year-old Avon Darden, had allegedly tried to shoot a rival dancer when he hit Samuel Poulin, 21, in the back as he and his wife and family walked past.
The teen later handed himself over to cops at the Midtown South precinct station house accompanied by his mother.
Business leaders near Times Square have ripped the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio as they claim he has not taken 'immediate action' to stop the gun violence.
An inforgraphic shows crime rates in New York City
" class="c5" scrolling="no"
Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, told the Daily News that the shootings have 'got to stop' and that the shooting incident on Wednesday was 'just the latest in an unacceptable cycle.'
'We cannot wait for a new mayor,' Harris said. 'The de Blasio administration needs to stop making excuses and develop effective strategies and take immediate action.'
He added: 'We need to refocus, reenergize, and support our police officers so they can do their jobs and prevent crimes.'
De Blasio has not yet addressed the shooting incident publicly. DailyMail.com has reached out to his office for comment.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who won the Democratic primary for this year's mayoral race, appeared at an event with Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday as the two political leaders present a united front in addressing the rising crime.
Adams, 60, ran on a largely anti-crime platform and will become the mayor of New York if he defeats Republican Curtis Silwa in the general election. The former NYPD police captain has even received praised from Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Cuomo, 63, added to the praise on Wednesday while speaking at the Lenox Road Baptist Church - marking a stark contrast to his ongoing rivalry with de Blasio particularly through their differences in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
'Eric and I come from the same political philosophy,' Cuomo said, according to the New York Daily News.
'I think Eric Adams and I are going to work very well together. I believe, he believes, the same philosophy of government: it's not what you say, it's not about the politics, it's about performance.'
