4-year-old girl, two women shot in Times Square
A 4-year-old girl shopping for toys and two women bystanders were shot and injured Saturday in Times Square, the New York Police Department said.
The afternoon shooting occurred at West 45th Street and 7th Avenue in the city's tourism zone. No suspects were in custody but a person of interest was being sought for questioning, police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a news conference.
"The perpetrators of this senseless violence are being tracked down and the NYPD will bring them to justice," Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.
Police described the three as unintended targets struck when a dispute between four men nearby erupted in gunfire. An officer who was nearby heard four to five shots, the commissioner said.
Police indicated they believe only one person opened fire.
Shea described the 4-year-old as a "very brave girl that is buying toys when she is shot." She was with her family at the time, he said, and the victims did not know each other.
The girl, identified as Skye Martinez, was struck in a leg, police said. Wendy Magrinat, 23, was struck in a thigh, and Mạrcela Aldana, 43, was hit in a foot, they said.
Magrinat is a tourist from Rhode Island who went to Times Square after discovering the Statue of Liberty was closed, Shea said.
The injuries were not life-threatening, but Skye had to undergo surgery, authorities said.
New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tweeted that the victims were in stable condition.
Times Square is known for its annual New Year's celebration, the Broadway strip of theaters and tourist-friendly concessions shops.