A casual Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park turned to chaos on Sunday when a gunman fired off several rounds from a handgun — shattering the serene atmosphere and leaving a 37-year-old hospitalized from a bullet wound.
According to police, the gunshot victim was riding his scooter at the southeastern end of the famous park at around 3 p.m. when he came across three individuals in a heated verbal dispute.
The scooter-riding victim attempted to inch closer to the men, but their argument turned violent, and one of the suspects brandished a gun and fired several shots — including one stray bullet that hit the victim in the leg, cops said.
Amid the chaos, which rattled park-goers around the Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue entrance to the greenspace, the three suspects ran off, leaving little trace behind.
Paramedics, meanwhile, rushed the bloodied victim to Methodist Hospital in Park Slope, where he is expected to recover from his wounds.
One eyewitness, who declined to be named, described the chaotic scene in the aftermath of the shooting.
“Three guys walked into the park, they started firing shots,” said the witness. “Everyone ran out of fear over what was going on. The man was screaming in pain.”
Police recovered at least six bullet shell casings at the scene.
No arrests have yet been made, and the investigation continues, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 12, when the most recent NYPD data is available, cops recorded 1,007 victims of gun violence on the streets of the five boroughs.
There have been no other shootings in Prospect Park this year.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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