Shooting on NYC’s Upper West Side causes major subway delays after gunman fled underground, sources say

NEW YORK — A shooting in New York City’s Upper West Side caused major delays on multiple subway lines Thursday.

Police said a 47-year-old owner of a computer repair store was shot in the leg and shoulder at around 9:20 a.m. by West 69th Street and Columbus Avenue. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital and is expected to be okay.

Sources say the victim was the former boss of the shooter and that the ex-employee left his job about two months ago. Witnesses said a fight broke out between the men and not long after shots rang out.

Sources say the gunman, who was last seen wearing a blue hood, green jacket and tan hat, fled into the subway system at the 72nd Street station with a firearm, prompting a manhunt and service changes. As of 5 p.m., he remained at large.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene

Witnesses told CBS News New York they heard roughly a dozen gunshots, and the window of a bus stop was damaged. A nearby school was briefly placed under a shelter-in-place but has since returned to normal.

“I heard like 15 loud bangs,” resident Robert Consivine said.

“I was actually half asleep and I heard 10 gunshots, about. And then we heard whelping, like crying, screaming, and then we heard a bunch of sirens,” one witness said. 

“When I heard the shots, I thought, I can’t believe that would be gunfire, because in this neighborhood, you don’t hear that kind of stuff,” another person added. “But here it is, bus station blown apart.”

Surveillance video shows people on the street running. Some innocent bystanders took shelter inside businesses.

“All the rest of my costumers, they were going to the back of the place,” business owner Edmondo Tuautle said. “In this scene, you panic, of course. You don’t know what to do.”

A/C/B/D/E trains all impacted

C trains were temporarily suspended in both directions and A and D trains were severely impacted, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Service was restored with delays shortly before noon, the MTA said. Riders should also expect residual delays on the B and E lines.

Get the latest service changes straight from the MTA here.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website.

John Dias

John graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University at Albany with dual majors in journalism and communication. He also minored in political science. During his senior year, he juggled both classes and a full-time job as a web producer for News10 ABC in Albany, New York.