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Updated: Man Shot on 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue Monday Night; Shooter ‘Unapprehended’

October 5, 2021 | 7:28 AM - Updated on June 5, 2022 | 11:31 PM
in CRIME, NEWS
64
West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Photograph by Joe Colombo.

By Carol Tannenhauser

On Monday night, at approximately 10:06 p.m., a 37-year-old man sitting in his car on the northeast corner of West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue was shot, an NYPD spokesperson told WSR.

“An unknown male, operating a dark-colored Dodge Charger, drove up alongside [the victim’s] vehicle and discharged a firearm at the victim,” the spokesperson said. “A bullet struck the victim, one time, in the hip. The unknown suspect drove from the location, unapprehended. The victim was then transported, via private means, to New York Presbyterian Hospital, in stable condition. No arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.”

A man whose apartment overlooks the intersection of 72nd and Columbus, wrote to WSR, minutes after the shooting, “4 shots. It looks like they’re looking for bullet casings. I ran to the window right after and saw a car speed up 72nd westbound. Then, I went to check if the baby was awake, but no, he’s a city kid, didn’t faze him.”

We will update as more details emerge.

Update: “At this point it does not appear to be random,” Captain Neil Zuber, commander of the 20th precinct, told WSR in an email. “The investigation is still in the beginning stages. I’m hopeful we’ll have a resolution soon.”

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64 Comments
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mk
mk
3 years ago

We were standing on our balcony on w 72nd, heard the 4 shots. Immediately after we saw a Red Benz hatchback aggressively speeding westbound on 72nd toward Amsterdam, tire screeching and all… Not sure if this Mercedes was involved or not but seemed suspicious

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Reply
lynxminx
lynxminx
3 years ago
Reply to  mk

The shooter was definitely on Columbus, and definitely sped southbound after firing the rounds. Car was dark/probably black and looked like a fancy hybrid SUV.

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Reply
JL
JL
3 years ago
Reply to  mk

Re: speeding west on 72nd street.

There is usually police presence at w72nd and Amsterdam/Bway. I hope the NYPD will have the vaccine mandate and work in-person pronto.

There should be multiple cameras at that intersection.

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Reply
lynxminx
lynxminx
3 years ago
Reply to  JL

It took the police about 90 seconds to respond to the shooting. I didn’t see this for myself, but apparently a patrol vehicle was parked near the victim when the shooting started.

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Reply
Rob
Rob
3 years ago
Reply to  JL

Yes, better to have the shooter remain free and go after you or me next than to have an unvaccinated police officer investigate the crime.

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Reply
JL
JL
3 years ago
Reply to  Rob

If you say so, I guess.

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Reply
Friendly neighbor
Friendly neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  mk

So report it to the police!

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ca
ca
3 years ago

I heard five shots. I’m on 75th.

Two together, then some time passed, then two together, then some time, then one.

Didn’t get out of bed because I was half asleep and since it sounded like gunshots I didn’t want to accidentally get hit at the window.

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Reply
lynxminx
lynxminx
3 years ago
Reply to  ca

There were five shots. Pretty close together. The incident was over within a few seconds.

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Reply
Truth and Reason
Truth and Reason
3 years ago
Reply to  ca

This is why in my college freshman orientation they taught us as women that if we were being raped or attacked to yell fire, not help. Because if you yell help, no one will come and help you. But if you yell fire, that affects them so they’ll be right along.

I get that we’re not all the champions of the world, but you heard somebody getting shot and your reaction was just to go to sleep? That’s a human being! A person just like you! I guess if you ever get shot, yell fire.

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jody greco
jody greco
3 years ago
Reply to  Truth and Reason

You are right..scary

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Reply
Bob
Bob
3 years ago
Reply to  Truth and Reason

If I sprang from my bed and ran in my pajamas down onto the street every time I heard something that sounds like a gunshot… my doorman would have me committed.

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Lisa
Lisa
3 years ago

There are drug deals going on up and down the block every day. Time for the 20th Precinct to step up their game. Just follow the vagrants, who are always high.

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Reply
DJay
DJay
3 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

Just as many drug deals in the bro-corridors of Big finance and Big tech.

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Reply
sg
sg
3 years ago
Reply to  DJay

You may want it to be true, but it isn’t. Yes, there are drug deals on WS, but no way as many…and they are more discreet and less dangerous to the citizenry.

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Revvv
Revvv
3 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

Baloney. There are not drug deals going on in the area.

35 year resident of Columbus & 73rd.

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eric
eric
3 years ago
Reply to  Revvv

I’ve been in the neighborhood for 40 years. You must be blind.

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Reply
Hohowhatareyouafingowl
Hohowhatareyouafingowl
3 years ago
Reply to  Revvv

Did you watch Needle Park

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robert miller
robert miller
3 years ago
Reply to  Hohowhatareyouafingowl

40-year-old movie!!

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Frank Grimes
Frank Grimes
3 years ago

I hope this minor development doesn’t distract from the extremely important topics discussed at the next Community Board meetings, Bike Lanes and Car Free pedestrian areas….we can’t lose focus on what’s important…..

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Reply
Deb
Deb
3 years ago
Reply to  Frank Grimes

Good one – don’t forget to free the curbs by preventing free parking on residential side streets. The curbs are the new “huddled masses” yearning to breathe freely.

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blacklikeu
blacklikeu
3 years ago

Where are the crowds calling to defund the police?
The Wild Wild Wild Upper West Side.
Sure looks & sounds like the 1970’s all over again.

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Jan
Jan
3 years ago
Reply to  blacklikeu

We NEED our police! Unless u got a better
idea. Retrain reorganize yes but support our PD and be thankful.

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Reply
Otis
Otis
3 years ago
Reply to  blacklikeu

Exactly!

I feel like I stepped into Doc Brown’s time machine and landed in 1979!

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Reply
Josh P.
Josh P.
3 years ago
Reply to  blacklikeu

The NYPD was not defunded, their budget was increased. If it feels like the neighborhood is becoming more dangerous it’s because they aren’t very efficient at spending the billions of dollars we give them every year. When crime rises we need to demand more accountability from our police, not beat up a “defund” straw man that doesn’t exist.
https://council.nyc.gov/budget/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2021/05/NYPD.pdf
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-06/new-york-city-s-police-budget-is-increasing-again

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Reply
Sara jobe
Sara jobe
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh P.

The police did have major funding reallocated from things like the anti-crime unit, which got illegal guns off the street/

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Reply
Mark Moore
Mark Moore
3 years ago

Sounds targeted.

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Reply
Tom
Tom
3 years ago

Assume that corner has multiple cameras in place. Hopefully they caught the suspect in the act.

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Reply
Josh P.
Josh P.
3 years ago

Another reason to drastically increase the deployment of speeding and red light cameras.

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Reply
GG
GG
3 years ago

Just curious, WSR…

Why are we sometimes not allowed to comment on crime stories and other times it is OK, like in this case??

For example, the shooting last week on 89th and Amsterdam? I live right around there and was interested to hear what the neighborhood had to say about that one. Thanks.:)

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Mark Moore
Mark Moore
3 years ago
Reply to  GG

WSR acts in mysterious ways sometimes. I walked past that site the day after that shooting and there were eight cops standing around.

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Reply
Innocent Bystander
Innocent Bystander
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark Moore

I walked into the park last week shortly after the shooting at 89/Amsterdam, and there were police cars and crime tape blocking the entrance at 90th/CPW. I didn’t even know what was going on.

Question: Anyone have any experience with the ‘Citizen’ real-time crime-reporting app?

I would have privacy concerns, since the app links data to users including location, contacts (!), contact info (!), identifiers, and usage data.

But I do want to know what is going on in the neighborhood sooner than the next day.

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Reply
Ish Kabibble
Ish Kabibble
3 years ago
Reply to  Innocent Bystander

Citizen is a bastion of misinformation and hysteria. I recommend avoiding it at all costs.

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Reply
lynn
lynn
3 years ago
Reply to  Innocent Bystander

I’ve been using the Citizen app for 2 years and I do have control over the personal info that’s shared. I’ve avoided a few sketchy incidents because of the real time reporting, so I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

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Reply
Dan
Dan
3 years ago

And at this time the SCOTUS is considering NY gun license laws. Sheesh!

0
Reply
Truth and Reason
Truth and Reason
3 years ago
Reply to  Dan

Ah yes. I’m absolutely certain that someone who’s going to conduct a drive-by shooting will get a permit and purchase their weapon legally.

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Reply
Adam
Adam
3 years ago
Reply to  Dan

So that the innocent can protect themselves against criminals that are released from jail the second they arrive. I agree, more licenses.

0
Reply
KB
KB
3 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Yes so right. We need more guns on the streets to reduce gun violence. Makes total sense.

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Reply
Tim
Tim
3 years ago

Increased violent crime? After bail reform and cries for defunding the police. I hope people aren’t confused as to why criminals feel emboldened. Congratulations bleeding hearts, you got what you wanted.

0
Reply
KB
KB
3 years ago
Reply to  Tim

Conservatives want more guns on the streets and then complain about all the shootings.
So dumb.

0
Reply
sg
sg
3 years ago
Reply to  KB

Nonsense…conservatives want people to have the ability to own guns LEGALLY. You’d have thought that the chaos wreaked in NYC and other large cities over the last two years would have opened your eyes.

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Reply
JL
JL
3 years ago
Reply to  sg

Thank you for clarifying the conservative position. That’s why they are against any and all regulations on gun control. So “WE” can all love guns and buy/own as many firearms as we want.

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Reply
Lisa
Lisa
3 years ago
Reply to  KB

What’s dumb is making endless gun laws and then being surprised that criminals still have lots of guns.

0
Reply
Leon
Leon
3 years ago
Reply to  KB

Moderates (who often get mistaken for conservatives in the UWS progressive echo chamber) want much stricter gun laws, more police, and stricter penalties, particularly for repeat offenders and/or significant crimes.

And believe it or not, many of those who live in the projects and other high crime areas feel the same way. That’s why Adams beat Wiley.

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Reply
geoff
geoff
3 years ago

I think I have never encountered the use of ‘unapprehended’.

Using that word makes understanding a little complicated. The suspect could have ‘escaped’ a pursuit, or maybe no cop or other official attended leaving the suspect ‘unapprehended’. Maybe an official did attend but left the suspect alone. Or maybe not. I could go on.

Why do police news releases (and others who are trying to sound ‘official’—I can’t even tell if that’s what they are trying to do) so often dip into really weird uses of normal English words, ingeven avoid common usage?

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Reply
Mike M
Mike M
3 years ago
Reply to  geoff

I had the same reaction. Maybe someone was apprehended, then unapprehended. Or “released” as those of us not fluent in the language of the law enforcement element would say.

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Reply
geoff
geoff
3 years ago
Reply to  geoff

last sentence should read “even avoiding…”

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Reply
good humor
good humor
3 years ago

the victim was sitting in a Lambo

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Reply
Cato
Cato
3 years ago
Reply to  good humor

What’s a “Lambo”?

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Reply
FoodCarter
FoodCarter
3 years ago
Reply to  Cato

A lamb gyro

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Reply
uwsmom
uwsmom
3 years ago
Reply to  Cato

Lamborghini

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Reply
Joros
Joros
3 years ago

Multiple shootings over the last week and not a peep from our outgoing city council rep, Helen Rosenthal. Truly out of touch with her district. It will be no surprise when she pops up at one of these crooked non-profit orgs like CORE.

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Reply
Irate Partisan
Irate Partisan
3 years ago
Reply to  Joros

Jesus wept, will you Helen Haters ever give it a rest? This story has nothing to do with her.

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Reply
lynxminx
lynxminx
3 years ago

I was walking on street level and saw the shooting. 1. They were not driving a Charger, it looked more like a hybrid SUV. 2. Five shots were fired, four were recovered at the scene and one wound up in the victim.

The shooters were through the intersection southbound when they stopped and fired backwards at the victim. I believe it was a passenger in the rear seat who leaned out the window to fire, but I only caught a glimpse as the car peeled off.

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Reply
SweetHeart28
SweetHeart28
3 years ago
Reply to  lynxminx

Hi, my brother was the fellow who was shot at. I also happened to be walking in the immediate vicinity when this nightmare transpired, specifically
Northbound on Columbus Avenue. I’ve not been able to close my eyes and reimagine since so I’ve not slept in over 24 hours. Would you please provide your testimony to detectives? If so, how would I reach you? Please help, a terrified younger sister. You could also call the 20th precinct and ask to speak with Detective Figueroa. Thank you. 🙂

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Reply
lynxminx
lynxminx
3 years ago
Reply to  SweetHeart28

I stayed behind and attempted to speak with the police at the scene, but they were already talking to other witnesses. I emphatically told them the shooting car was not a sportscar (they were already making that assumption), that he car was further south than they thought when it started firing, and they should talk to the waitstaff at Ellas who were even closer to the car than I was. Not sure what else I can do.

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Reply
Jean Luke
Jean Luke
3 years ago

I heard the shots from 72nd mid block. At first I thought it was a car backfiring.

We used to have a camera facing the street on our building but landmarks made us take it down as they said it wasn’t approved. And the police always used to ask for our footage when incidents occurred. Made no sense but that’s NYC government.

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Reply
Mot
Mot
3 years ago
Reply to  Jean Luke

Defund the Landmarks bureaucrats….

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Reply
Laura
Laura
3 years ago

I also thought I heard 5 shots. I’m on 70th.

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Reply
R
R
3 years ago

“Unapprehended” = loose on the streets of our neighborhood

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Reply
Barb
Barb
3 years ago

This city is really falling apart. Defunding the police is not working, we need to double police presence.

0
Reply
Danielle Remp
Danielle Remp
3 years ago

In today’s New York Post, “road rage” is mentioned as the cause of this shooting.
Ostensibly, the NYPD have enough cameras to verify this(?)

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Reply
David J
David J
3 years ago

We need to keep this stuff above 113th Street and below 59th.

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Reply
Mary Blake
Mary Blake
3 years ago

I heard the gunshots (5) but I’m near Amsterdam. They clearly came from the East, and I saw the police on Coumbus swing into action immediately. Must say I had a de ja vu flash. Just recently attended the 50th anniversary showing of “Panic In Needle Park.” I lived in Forest Hills at the time but studied voice on 73rd and Amsterdam. Thought those days were gone and all but forgotten. Don’t have much faith in the 20th Precinct! When I reported a thief making off with my things they herded me into a corner and let her get away with ovr $1,000 of my valuables! She was pretty Reporting it did nothing at all!

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Reply

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