During the evening rush hour on Thursday, a 22-year-old man was shot and murdered near a Shake Shack in Midtown Manhattan, and police were still looking for two gunmen hours later.
The gunshot happened around 5:30 p.m. near West 44th Street and Eighth Avenue in the Times Square area, according to authorities.
Officers responding to a 911 call discovered the man with a gunshot wound to the chest and transported him to Mount Sinai West, where he died.
The Pavement In Front of The Shake Shake Fast-Food Restaurant
The police had shut off the pavement in front of the Shake Shack fast-food restaurant in the theatre district, and the normally crowded establishment was closed on Thursday night.
At least one shell casing could be seen on 44th Street, and pedestrian traffic was being rerouted down Eighth Avenue.
A bouncer at Smith's, a bar across the street, said he heard one shot and saw people fleeing before the police came.
The victim was not immediately recognized, and police were still looking for "unknown criminals" Thursday night.
This Was One of The Busiest Areas of NYC
The incident took place in one of the busiest areas of the city, just moments from Broadway theatres, hotels, the massive Times Square subway station, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
The neighborhood had languished while the pandemic drove visitors and office workers away, and its recovery has been hampered by fears about crime in the midst of a citywide rise.
Despite a decrease in shootings and killings last year, major crime increased by 22%.
At the same time, the city's tourist organization, NYC & Company, predicts that 56 million visitors will visit the city in 2022, a major increase from 2021.
The return of visitors increased New York's tourism to 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and the agency anticipates the figure to rise higher this year.
Other Visitors Were Panic
Isla Cleland and Marcus Lavery, two visitors from Scotland, were stunned to learn of the shooting as they strolled through the area on their way to dinner on their first night in Manhattan.
Kees Van Liempt, 69, said he came from the Netherlands to see his wife and daughter. He described his four days in the city as "too long."
Mr. Van Liempt had planned to lunch at Shake Shack before seeing a play with them. As soon as he exited the metro at 6 p.m., he observed the police presence.
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