Joe Yates
A teenage gunman has been apprehended after opening fire in a crowded area of Times Square.
The popular tourist hotspot sees hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the bright lights of New York City, and for the masses that were there at around 1.20am, they endured a terrifying few minutes as they heard a firearm discharge.
The incident happened close to the intersection of 44th Street and 7th Avenue, and resulted in three injuries - that of an 18-year-old woman and two men, aged 19 and 65.
New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that shots were fired following a dispute between two people, and the 17-year-old suspected gunman was subsequently taken into custody, with officers recovering a firearm at the scene.
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The force also reported that a bullet grazed the woman's neck, with the two men both sustaining gunshot wounds to the legs.
Videos have since been posted online which depict scores of tourists fleeing from outside the Hard Rock Cafe, on 7th Avenue, before police officers descended on the scene in a bid to bring order to the chaos.
Taking to Twitter, one user posted: "Three people have been shot in the heart of Times Square. Bodies are on the ground, bullet holes pierce car windows. The chaos unfolded near a major tourist area. One suspect is in custody."
The witness went on to claim that they were 'literally 2 cars in front of the car that got shot up'.
Before adding: "That suv that was shot up had a 3 year old kid in it."
The shooting took place despite city authorities having labeled Times Square a 'gun-free zone', with signs posted stating that the crossroads are gun-free.
It comes just 11 days after gunman Shane Devon Tamura shot and killed four people when he opened fire in a New York City office building.
The 27-year-old Las Vegas man walked into a building at 345 Park Avenue in New York City and began firing an M4 rifle, killing a police officer during his rampage before claiming his own life.
A note reportedly found on the gunman read: "Study my brain please I’m sorry Tell Rick I’m sorry for everything.
"Terry Long football gave me CTE, and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze. You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you."
It is understood he was trying to target the headquarters of the NFL but took the wrong lift, New York City mayor Eric Adams explained.