A 7-year-old girl was shot while on the sidewalk of a busy Harlem thoroughfare after two men jumped out from behind a parked car and opened fire, police officials said Monday.
The accused gunmen opened fire just before 3 p.m. on West 145th Street near Bradhurst Avenue, close to the southern end of Jackie Robinson Park, police said. The young girl was walking down the sidewalk with her mother and father outside of a Starbucks location when one of the bullets struck her in the stomach, police said.
The child was picked up by her dad and rushed to Harlem Hospital by police. Mayor Eric Adams said she was undergoing surgery and was expected to survive.
Investigators believe the men were aiming at two men and the girl was an "unintended target" caught in the middle.
At least nine rounds were fired, leaving shell casings scattered on the sidewalk, law enforcement sources said. The shooting may be connected to gang activity, officials said.
Two people of interest were taken into custody for questioning in the aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement sources told News 4. One gun was recovered and investigators were looking for a second.
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"Our hearts go out to the family," Mayor Eric Adams said Monday evening from the scene of the shooting. "I pray for the quick recovery. It's never a good thing when a child is the victim of a shooting, it's never a good thing when an innocent bystander is a victim."
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An ongoing investigation was in preliminary stages early Monday evening, police said.
