• A 17-year-old opened fire in Times Square during a dispute, injuring three people.
• Victims include an 18-year-old woman and two men, aged 19 and 65, all now in stable condition.
• Panic erupted as tourists and locals fled; the teen suspect was arrested at the scene.

A warm summer night in the heart of New York City’s most famous crossroads turned into a scene of fear and confusion early Saturday morning. This happened when a teenager armed with a gun opened fire. The chaos unfolded in Times Square just after 1 a.m., shattering the nightlife buzz and leaving three people injured.

Police say the violence began with an argument between two individuals near the busy intersection of 44th Street and 7th Avenue, right outside the Hard Rock Café. Within seconds, the confrontation spiraled out of control. Shots rang out, echoing through the towering buildings and flashing billboards. This caught locals and tourists completely off guard.

Victims Caught in the Crossfire

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Police said the gunfire struck three people. An 18-year-old woman took a graze wound to her neck, and two men — one 19, the other 65 — suffered gunshots to the legs. Medics rushed all three to Bellevue Hospital. Doctors later said their conditions were stable. Still, shaken witnesses described the moments before paramedics wheeled them away on stretchers as “utter chaos.”

One bystander, who had been lining up for a late-night bite nearby, said he saw people “dropping to the ground” when the first shots were fired. “It felt like the whole square just froze for a second, then everyone started running in every direction,” he recalled, still visibly shaken.

A Teen Gunman in Custody

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The NYPD quickly tracked down the suspect, a 17-year-old boy whose name remains undisclosed because of his age. Officers found a firearm at the scene and detained him shortly afterward. By Saturday morning, they had not filed charges. Investigators now work to piece together the full chain of events and determine what sparked the initial dispute.

Police sources say they still don’t know if the victims knew the gunman or if the bullets simply caught them in the crossfire. Detectives are now reviewing security footage from the surrounding businesses. They hope to clarify what happened in those tense seconds before the shots rang out.

Panic in the City That Never Sleeps

For the crowds in Times Square — many of them out-of-towners visiting one of the world’s most photographed landmarks — the shooting felt like a scene out of a nightmare. Videos posted to social media show throngs of people sprinting for cover. Officers rushed in, weapons drawn, to secure the area.

Sirens blared and lights flashed across the square as dozens of police units flooded the streets. Some tourists clutched children close. Others crouched behind street furniture or ducked into nearby shops to hide. One clip captured the moment an injured man was wheeled away on a stretcher. His leg was bandaged, as paramedics worked quickly to stabilize him.

Public Shock and Frustration

The shooting has sparked renewed concerns over public safety in one of the city’s most heavily policed areas. “If this can happen in Times Square, with all these cameras and cops around, it can happen anywhere,” said one lifelong New Yorker who was nearby when the gunfire erupted. Others flooded social media with frustration, saying violence keeps spilling into places meant to feel safe for families and tourists.

City officials were quick to reassure the public that incidents like this remain rare in Times Square. Still, the attack comes at a time when concerns over youth crime and illegal firearms are making headlines across the country. “We cannot accept this kind of violence in our city,” one local council member said in a statement. They called for stricter enforcement of gun laws and more outreach programs for at-risk youth.

The Scene After the Gunfire

By dawn, the flashing police lights had faded, but the emotional impact lingered. A scattering of evidence markers still dotted the street where shell casings were found, and a faint smell of gunpowder hung in the air. Workers at nearby shops quietly swept up broken glass. Visitors stopped to snap photos, many unaware of the chaos that had unfolded just hours before.

Some street performers who make their living entertaining tourists in the square spoke about how quickly the mood had shifted from laughter to fear. “One second I was posing for pictures, the next I was running and pulling kids behind a barricade,” said one costumed performer.

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the shooting or has video footage to come forward. Meanwhile, security crews have increased patrols in the area, sending more uniformed officers to the streets and surveillance teams to monitor activity 24/7.