Terrifying video released Friday by the NYPD shows the moment an armed suspect chases down a 24-year-old man and shoots him several times, barely missing two children also on the sidewalk and appearing to flee for their safety.
Police in the borough are on the hunt for the gunman as well as a second man who helped the shooter get away on a scooter.
The department tweeted out video of the Thursday shooting when the suspect opened fire inches away from the two children. The incident was reported around 6:45 p.m. in front of 1551 Sheridan Avenue.
The children — a 10- and 5-year-old sister and brother who were just steps away from their home — somehow avoided being shot as the gunman opened fire on his intended target, the 24-year-old gang member, according to police. The target scrambled to escape the gunfire, falling on top of the kids as the hitman fired off a dozen rounds.
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"They'll shoot a anybody, at any time, in front of kids, during the day. This is what it's turned into," said NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison. "We need our police officers out here and we've got to make sure we deploy more cops, especially out here in the Bronx. We're seeing a lot of the violnce going back and forth."
The victim was struck in the leg and back and was taken to a nearby hospital, police said. He's expected to survive.
Also on video, police identified the driver of a scooter who allegedly drove the gunman down Sherman Avenue and then picked him up after the shooting, driving north.
An investigation is ongoing, and detectives spent much of the day looking for addition pieces of evidence, as well as the gunman. Most people on the block where the shooting took place were not interested in talking with police or even with NBC New York, due to a pervasive culture of fear that those who talk will be the next to be shot.
NYPD data shows that shooting incidents are up more than 64 percent over the last year, with 634 shootings in the city as of Sunday.
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Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the two kids were related to the 24-year-old victim.
