Crowd STAMPEDES after man fatally shot in Times Square

According to the New York Daily News, a witness to the shooting, Will Colon, said, "There was a stampede of people trying to get away."

The shooting happened around 5:30 pm on Thursday, and ABC 7 reports the 22-year-old victim had gotten into a fight with the two suspects, who exited a nearby deli before opening fire.

"It was a couple young dudes who shot him," Colon added. "His body was laid right out on the sidewalk. He was face-up shaking."

The victim was shot in the chest and then staggered a city block south before collapsing on 43th Street and 8th Avenue. As he collapsed he grabbed a bystander and begged them to dial 911.

Authorities arrived and administered first aid to the victim, whose name has not been released.

A police source said, "When medics got to him he was in cardiac arrest." The victim was transported to Mount Sinai West hospital where he died from his injuries.

The New York Post reports that the suspects are believed to be drug dealers but it is unclear if the victim was targeted in the shooting. The two suspects ran south on Eighth Avenue, according to witnesses, and turned right onto West 43rd St.

As local ABC reports, West 44th and Eighth is "one of the busiest parts of New York City" and the shooting created a massive police presence as the area was shut down for hours while investigators searched for clues to the shooters' identities.

Major crime continues to soar in NYC under mayor Eric Adams. According to local news, there were 433 murders in NYC in 2022, down slightly from 488 murders in 2021. But Adams' NYC murder rate is still noticeably higher than 2019's 318 murders.