A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed in what typically is a quiet Manhattan neighborhood, police said, and there is an ongoing search for the suspects.
Gunshots rang out just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on Spring Street between Varick Street and Sixth Avenue in SoHo, according to officials. The victim was in the outdoor Urban Plaza, a public courtyard space on private property between two buildings, when multiple people rode up on Citi bikes, according to a police source.
One of the individuals took out a gun, shooting the boy in the back of the head and twice in the leg, police said. It is believed some sort of dispute broke out between the two groups before the shots were fired.
The victim was rushed to hospital, where he died from his injuries. Police later identified him as Mahki Brown, of Brooklyn. It was not immediately clear if he was the intended target.
The suspects took off on the Citi bikes immediately after. A police source shared a photo (below) showing two people on a Citi bike — one pedaling and one seated in the bike's front basket — who are believed to be involved in the shooting.
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The location of the shooting is near Broome Street Academy. Police were investigating whether the teen killed or any of those involved were students at the high school. The scene was also a block away from a center that takes in teens looking to complete their GED.