A man was shot in the back in the Flatiron District during an apparent brawl on Sunday night, police and eyewitnesses said.
The Super Bowl was still underway and the nightlight in the popular westside district was still bustling when gunfire erupted at about 9:12 p.m. on Feb. 11 outside of 27 West 20th St., according to authorities.
Officers from the 13th Precinct raced to the scene and discovered the victim, a 30-year-old man, with a gunshot wound to the back.
EMS rushed the victim to Bellevue Hospital where he is expected to survive.
Police sources reported that the shooting appeared to be connect to a fight that erupted amongst a large group of unruly people. The exact number of people involved in the dispute was not yet known.
Officers did take a person of interest into custody at the scene and brought them in for further questioning. Charges against them are still pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
Witnesses recounted the shocking display they heard on Super Bowl Sunday.
“I was at home and I heard very loud gunshots. I looked through the window, and I saw a gentleman fleeing the scene towards Fifth Avenue,” Layla Law-Gisiko said. “It was super, super loud — scary.”
Law-Gisiko told amNewYork Metro that she heard between 6 and 7 shots break the weekend air followed by a rowdy commotion.
“I heard a lot of screaming in the street. And then, when I was looking through the window, I saw one gentleman fleeing. And then I saw another three gentlemen who were kicking someone on the ground,” Law-Gisiko said. “It’s terrifying. It is absolutely terrifying.”
Locals like Law-Gisiko, who has lived in the area for over two decades, blamed the shooting on nearby nightclubs she says have become issues for residents due to increased violence.
Investigators sealed off the street between 5th and 6th Avenues for several hours as they interviewed witnesses and searched for evidence. Police say a gun was recovered.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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