Three Injured in Times Square Shooting Following Verbal Dispute

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Three people were injured in a shooting near Times Square, New York City, early Tuesday morning, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). The incident, which occurred at approximately 1:20 a.m., followed a verbal disagreement that escalated into gunfire, resulting in two individuals sustaining gunshot wounds and one receiving a graze wound.

NYPD officials reported that a 65-year-old man and a 19-year-old man were shot, while an 18-year-old woman was grazed on the neck. The 19-year-old was struck in the right foot, and the 65-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg. All three victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital and were in stable condition at the time of the report.

Authorities arrested a 17-year-old male suspect at the scene. The police spokesperson confirmed the suspect had been involved in a verbal dispute with one of the victims prior to the shooting. A firearm was recovered, but charges have not yet been filed. The incident took place at the intersection of West 44th Street and 7th Avenue, a bustling area close to one of New York’s most popular tourist destinations.

Social media footage captured the chaotic scene, showing people fleeing and emergency responders attending to the injured. A car was seen pulling over outside the Hard Rock Cafe, and first responders were observed transporting a victim on a stretcher into an ambulance while police cordoned off the area.

This shooting comes amid a reported decline in shooting incidents across New York City this year. According to the NYPD, the city experienced the fewest shooting incidents and victims recorded since tracking began. Between January and July 2025, there were 412 shooting incidents involving 489 victims, a decrease marking the tenth consecutive month of decline in major crime rates, as announced by the city’s police commissioner.

However, violence has not been entirely absent. In July, a mass shooting at an office building left four dead, including a police officer. The suspect, 27-year-old Shane Tamura, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after opening fire inside the lobby and an upper floor of the building. Tamura, a former high school football player, reportedly targeted the National Football League’s (NFL) headquarters. Officer Didarul Islam was among those killed, with the police department remembering him as “the very best.”

The recent Times Square shooting serves as a reminder that despite the overall downward trend in violent crime, challenges remain in ensuring public safety in New York City’s busiest areas. The NYPD continues its efforts to maintain order and reduce gun violence in one of the nation’s most visited urban centers.