NEW YORK — Nine people were shot in Harlem early Monday, one fatally, police said.
The victims, seven men and two women, appear to have been gathered at a barbecue when shots rang out about 12:40 a.m., police said.
‘’The emboldened individuals responsible for this are exactly who our officers are battling every day to make our city safe,” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at pre-dawn press conference near the scene at 139th St. and Fifth Ave.
Officers responding to the scene found five victims on an Harlem River Drive footpath under the Madison Avenue Bridge, according to NYPD Deputy Chief Brian McGee. Medics rushed them to different hospitals and police later found out four other gunshot victims had gone to the hospital on their own or with the help of others, he said.
One victim, a 21-year-old man, died at Lincoln Hospital.
It wasn’t yet clear what sparked the shooting but police believe more than one gunman fired. One handgun was recovered at the scene.
“We are looking for anyone with information,” McGee said. “We know that there were a lot of people out there.”
Shootings, while still up dramatically, 47%, compared to two years ago, are down 11% versus the same time last year.
“While we are making some headway against violence we have a lot of work to do,” Sewell said. “But we need help [from] the entire criminal justice system.”
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