Early Sunday morning, a shooter fired into an East Village apartment building, injuring three people. An elderly resident described his home as feeling “closest to hell.”
The shots were heard around 3:30 a.m. at Lillian Wald House on Sixth Avenue in Alphabet City, Manhattan. One victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, and the shooter managed to flee the scene, according to police and witnesses.
A resident living upstairs recounted, “I got out of bed and hit the floor. It sounded like six or seven gunshots. I heard a man screaming, ‘Mother F-KER! Mother F-KER!'”
“In the last six months, this has happened four times,” he added, expressing frustration with the housing authorities. “They keep allowing people with drug issues to stay here. It’s not right.”
An 88-year-old man, who only gave his name as Manny, noted the presence of two gangs in the area. “Two teen gangs, and they fight. This is the closest thing to hell,” he said.
Witnesses described a heated exchange among people gathered outside the complex just before the shooting occurred. Police reported that one victim, previously arrested multiple times, was shot in the face and back.
Fortunately, all three victims are expected to survive, according to police. The shooter remains at large.
A 40-year-old man was shot in the groin, while another was hit in the lower body.
Footage from the aftermath captured women rushing past police to check on one victim being loaded into an ambulance. One woman appeared to be overwhelmed, requiring assistance from bystanders and officers.
Authorities have not publicly identified the shooter, described as wearing a red hoodie, nor have they disclosed any motives for the attack.
