A manhunt is underway for a gunman who shot and injured a tourist in Times Square and fired at a responding officer, according to New York City police.
Three men entered JD Sports, a clothing and sneaker store, at about 7 p.m. Thursday and started stealing merchandise on the second floor, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said. Two of the three suspects went to the lobby, where a female security guard confronted them and took back the stolen property, Chell said.
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The gunman then fired toward the security guard but instead shot a 38-year-old woman visiting New York from Brazil, police said.
The woman, who was shot just above her left knee, hid in a storage room before she was taken to a hospital in stable condition, police said. She’s since been treated and released, police sources told ABC News.
The gunman — identified as a teenager from Colombia, according to police sources — fled a few blocks away where he fired two shots at a pursuing officer, police said.
The officer wasn’t hit and didn’t return fire because there were too many people nearby, police said.
The suspect then dumped his shoes and jacket and escaped to a subway station where he ran onto the tracks, police said. He later ran out of the subway and remains at large, police said.
“An attack on a cop is an attack on all of us!” NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry tweeted. “This coward shot at a hard working, innocent New Yorker and then opened fire on one of our officers. … This individual continues to pose a danger and must be caught immediately.”
An attack on a cop is an attack on all of us! Take a good look at this wanted flyer. This coward shot at a hard working, innocent New Yorker and then opened fire on one of our officers. Those cops did what we all expect them to do — they went toward the danger. This individual… pic.twitter.com/YKBb6UJJSa
— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) February 9, 2024
One of the two people who was with the suspect at the clothing store, a 15-year-old boy, has been interviewed by detectives and released, according to police.
Authorities are still looking to speak with the third person who was with the suspect.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.
Gunman shoots tourist in Times Square, fires at officer; manhunt underway: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
