Video: 17-year-old boy opens fire in crowded Times Square
What's the story
A 17-year-old boy is in police custody after he opened fire in New York City's Times Square on Thursday afternoon, sending tourists and bystanders scrambling for cover. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) reported that a dispute involving a large group of people led to the violence around 3:30pm local time. A 26-year-old man was slashed in the neck during this altercation and later hospitalized but is expected to recover.
Twitter Post
Video shows crowd running
🚨 BREAKING: CHAOS in Times Square after SHOTS FIRED just now
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 18, 2026
Ghetto wannabe “gangstas” have clearly been emboldened by their rampage after the Knicks game.
Now OPENING FIRE in the crossroads of the world in broad daylight.
Mamdani is a TOTAL failure.
All these World Cup… pic.twitter.com/zoNtXdVKx0
Arrest and recovery
17-year-old boy in custody
Shortly after the initial incident, police said the 17-year-old boy allegedly opened fire on the same group. The teenager was taken into custody by the police. A firearm was recovered from the scene of the shooting. The incident occurred after the NBA champion New York Knicks parade had flooded the streets of Lower Manhattan. Officials said 10,000 police officers were mobilized to secure the celebration of the Knicks' first championship team in 53 years.
Eyewitness accounts
Witnesses describe scene of panic, chaos
Witnesses described a scene of panic and chaos with people running for cover. Michael Reid, a witness at a nearby Raising Cane's restaurant, told CBS News it sounded like "glass was shattering" as people rushed in. Another witness, Aydan Spencer, recalled the loud noise and panicked response: "It was loud. It was like it was right behind, right next to me." "We started seeing....everybody run, so we...went in the Hershey Store. We stayed in the Hershey Store," another witness said.
Previous incident
Another gun-related incident in Times Square earlier this week
The shooting incident on Thursday comes just days after another gun-related scare in Times Square. On June 16, shots were fired near the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway during celebrations for the New York Knicks's championship victory. A 17-year-old boy was injured in that incident, which also sent hundreds of revelers running for safety. The police later recovered a loaded firearm from that scene as well.