UPDATE: Friday, November 1 at 8:30 a.m.: Two teenagers were shot Thursday night on the Upper West Side, a police spokesperson confirmed to WSR on Friday morning.
While Upper West Siders were trick-or-treating on Halloween evening, gun shots rang out around 6:30 p.m. in front of 220 West 71st Street, which is right around the corner from the McDonalds at 71st Street and Broadway, police said.
A 17-year-old was shot in the right leg and a 19-year-old was shot twice in his shoulder and arm, NYPD said.
Emergency services rushed the younger of the two victims to a local hospital in stable condition, while the 19-year-old took himself to Mount Sinai West, where he is also in stable condition, police said.
There have been no arrests and NYPD did not have information as of Friday morning about what led to the shooting, or a description of a suspect.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said.
Original Story
By Carol Tannenhauser
While Upper West Side streets were filled with costumed children and parents trick-or-treating for Halloween, a 17-year-old was shot in the leg at 6:32 p.m. on Thursday near Amsterdam Avenue and West 72nd Street, an NYPD spokesperson told West Side Rag.
“He’s stable. Not likely [to die],” the officer said. “The investigation is ongoing,” he added. “That’s it.”
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed at 8 p.m. there had been no arrests, but did not have any description of a suspect.
We will continue monitoring this breaking story.
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That’s one bad block.
Maybe “throwing eggs at people for fun” isn’t such a good idea, even on Halloween.
I live on 71st Street and Broad and exactly at 6:30 pm was eating dinner and heard 4 distinct gun shots. So scary that this happened, especially with children out for Halloween.
Cheez. Hope the kids recover OK and this doesn’t go further…
I was walking home from Fairway and was at 71st and Broadway when I heard what sounded like 4 or 5 gunshots. There were a lot of people on the street and I didn’t see anything but I didn’t stop to look around, rather started walking quicker and ducked into H Mart.
I really don’t like west Broadway between 70 and 71. Unfortuantely it’s right where Amsterdam and Broadway come together and to avoid that block would be quite an indirect detour for the time-shaving newyorker. I’m originally from Texas, used to own guns myself and actually turned mine in to the police. There is just zero, zero reason for any civilian to own a handgun with no permit. Home defense? No. If you must, shotgun. Personal defense? No – get yourself out of situations where you “need” such a thing! I hate them and I hate that we have to put up with stupid notions of a 2nd amendment which clearly does NOT give us such a right to own them. Ain’t no well regulated militia in that McDonalds or any other I’ve seen!
There ought to be police on that block 24/7, just as there are now police at the SE corner of W. 70th and Columbus at all times.
Aren’t there always cops hanging around the north (W72nd) subway station? That might be the busiest intersection on the UWS depending on if you count Columbus circle. They should be able to respond within seconds of this shooting. Let’s hope the NYPD will release any video images ASAP, and not 6 weeks later.
No there are not always cops hanging out there.
@ Mark P
I completely agree with you regarding personal use of guns and other weapons including 2nd amendment. I am very anti-gun.
However it is not lawful gun owners shooting people in NYC, let’s be clear about that. Criminals always get guns and should be punished for that. But in most cases they are not, and that’s the real issue here.
Totally agree. But I do believe if everywhere had gun laws like NYC, there would be fewer guns available to criminals.
Why? In the USSR nobody was allowed to own guns, yet criminals had plenty. Switzerland and Israel allow pretty much everyone to have a gun at home, and many have carry permits, but gun crime is virtually non-existent in those two countries. When guns are outlawed, only outlaws have them!
Mike, you are using slanted examples. Japan doesn’t allow people to have guns, and you never see them (including criminals). Similar with most other countries in Asia and most of Europe.
the shooting happened around the corner from mcdonald’s on 71st st while i was eating pizza with my kids at little italy, and i wasn’t even surprised because that corner is SO sketchy! i feel like we need a constant police presence there.
First step to cleaning up this block is shutting down the McDonald’s
Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing it gone, but how would that work? You’re not advocating the seizure of a privately owned business, are you?
Perhaps a corporation with a large presence in the city and country would acknowledge the continued threat its presence creates at this location. Corporate responsibility.
This is very alarming. I have lived in this area all my life (0ver 50 years) and have never seen things as bad as they are now.
Fortunately, that’s just not even close to being true! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_New_York_City#Murders_by_year
Josh P.
Just wondering….
when did you move to this area?
I’ve been living here since murders were 32% higher than they were last year, but I don’t think anyone who’s lived here less than me is any less of a “real” Upper West Sider!
Josh P.
I said nothing about whether you were resident/real resident or not.
My point is that everyone has individual experiences and frames of reference .
They are entitled to comment here (still a free country).
I don’t see that it works for total strangers decide that someone else’s experience is not valid (especially if unfamiliar with the context).
I’ve lived here my whole life.
Here’s an example of my experience – in the last few months I’ve witnessed some scary/threatening individuals on buses, something I’ve not seen in this way before.
Does it impact how I feel? Yes it does.
I Amateur 13-year-old child who had a party with my friends during this time we were there doing the shooting and we heard three loud boom boom boom. We came in contact with the gang, especially because we were throwing eggs at people for fun. We talk to the gang and they seemed harmless, but after we left and they separated from us, we heard the noises and ran to our houses
“They seemed harmless.” Yeah, that was all written by the “child.”
“Throwing eggs at people for fun ” is not a good idea anywhere.
It’s moronic and extremely immature. And dangerous.
More details from Fox 5 news- 2 shooters and 2 people were injured. Everything happened INSIDE the McDonald’s (I’m pretty sure they have working CCTV cameras).
That McDonald’s is filthy and scary and attracts a sketchy crowd. It’s hardly the safe, family friendly place McDonald’s promotes itself as.
When I was a teen I worked at a McD for a year. There were constant surprise inspections by agents from the McDonald’s Corp.
I don’t know how the McDonald’s on 71st passes inspection.
Sad situation on all levels.
Hopefully the victims recover and perpetrators arrested.
Depressing to see the area now as a massive ebike hangout, multiple street vendors and trash.
The McDonald’s has been there for decades.
When my grandparents lived there years ago, there was a cute home furnishings store.
But even more recently (but now gone) tasty Maoz and Paris Baguette.
We need an Officer Krupke to tell people to move along and stop loitering. It is very simple. I’m sure some of our neighbors will argue this is racist, classist, or whatever else and find some whataboutism of others who they think are similarly loitering. No. It is common sense. Let the police do their job. That area is problematic. It needs special rules until it gets better.
All we hear about are the bad cops. Yes. There are a few. And yes, the union should stop being so stubborn about standing up for those who are clearly bad eggs. But the vast majority of them are decent people putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. Trust their judgement. I’m willing to compromise my civil rights a little bit for the sake of a safer neighborhood.
Anyone who lives in the neighborhood knows this block has been bad for years and is begging for ongoing police presence. How about we get some? I love the cops who patrol the UWS and would love to see them on this block.
Why doesn’t the police have someone stationed there permanently – not in a car but out walking around like they used to?
I have an 18 year old who was out in that area too last night.
Maybe we need more police in that area which is home to many HS’s on Halloween
First e coli and now this??
Rumors that the McDonald’s e. coli outbreak started as the result of some rogue temporary employee’s insistence on handling fries with neither gloves nor cap are COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED, though it may account for some residual bronzer.
We need more cops, more cameras, more surveillance on the UWS.
These were not eggs they were bullets and riders were able to escape quickly because our city seems to think that citi bikes are safe!
Really??? This is happening more and more
I was also having pizza with my young children at Little Italy when this occurred. My kids thankfully didn’t understand what actually transpired and were able to have a good rest of their Halloween but us adults are livid and frightened from this experience. Get guns off the street, have a police presence on this block, counsel these teens /young adults. This is unacceptable here or anywhere
We live directly across the street from that McDonalds. I was on our roof and heard the shots which I thought were firecrackers since I did not hear screaming afterward. There was a shooting in 2021 in that exact spot (see below link).
If you ever have a desire to see teenagers fist fighting, it is a near daily occurrence after school lets out there. The neighboring pot shops (one has closed) have been robbed violently a few times. It is a shame since that block could be super nice if it had the right businesses.
My feeling is that the landlord is the problem.
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-shootings-upper-west-side-manhattan-nypd/
Only in NY do teenagers get shot and people blame a landlord instead of the shooters.
McDonald’s again.
definitely McDonalds. And the pizza place with its outdoor seating is not a big help I have been on that 71st street block for 63 years. It is very unpleasant. and I remember “when”!
It was Halloween + warm and the NYPD didn’t have cops stationed on that infamous corner?