Armed adolescent fires weapon in Times Square, injuring three individuals according to NYPD report
In the heart of New York City's theater district, a shooting incident occurred at the intersection of 44th Street and Eighth Avenue on Saturday. The perpetrator, a 17-year-old boy, opened fire, resulting in injuries to an 18-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man, and a 65-year-old man. The victims were promptly taken to New York City's Bellevue Hospital and are currently in stable condition.
The shooting took place around 1:20 am (0520 GMT), marking an unfortunate event in a city that has been experiencing historically low levels of gun violence and mass shootings. According to recent data, New York City recorded the lowest number of shooting victims ever in a six-month span and tied the record for the fewest shooting incidents in 2025.
July 2025 was one of the safest Julys on record, with only 75 shooting incidents and 92 victims, both all-time lows for that month. The first seven months of 2025 also showed the lowest shooting numbers and victims since tracking began in the 1990s. Murders dropped nearly by half in July 2025 versus July 2024.
From January through July 2025, shooting incidents involving injury dropped by 25% compared to the same period in 2024, and shooting victims dropped by 36%. Individuals killed by gun violence were 26% fewer than the prior year, although data are still preliminary.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) has played a significant role in maintaining these low rates, aggressively removing over 3,000 illegal firearms from the streets. The NYPD has also reported a decrease in shooting incidents and victims for the first seven months of 2025.
While this shooting incident is a cause for concern, it does not detract from the overall downward trend in gun violence in New York City. The city has been experiencing a considerable decline in gun violence and mass shootings, reaching some of the lowest levels in recorded history.
The NYPD is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No further updates have been provided regarding the perpetrator's identity or charges. The total number of mass shootings in the United States for the year 2025, including this incident, is now 255.
Despite this incident, it's important to remember that New York City continues to be one of the safest major cities in the United States, with significantly lower rates of gun violence compared to other cities. The state’s strict gun laws, including universal background checks, red flag statutes, and limits on magazine capacity, are often credited with helping maintain relatively low gun violence rates compared to other states.
[1] NYPD Press Release, First Half 2025 Crime Statistics [2] NYPD Press Release, July 2025 Crime Statistics [3] NYC Health Department, Preliminary 2025 Gun Violence Data [4] Giffords Law Center, New York State Gun Laws [5] FBI Uniform Crime Report, 2025 First Half Crime Statistics (New York City)
- This unfortunate shooting incident in New York City's theater district, although a concern, doesn't diminish the overall drop in world general-news concerning gun violence and mass shootings in the city, as the city has been recording historically low levels of such incidents, such as marked in the NYPD's first half 2025 Crime Statistics.
- In the midst of these promising statistics, recent data indicates that NYC's Bellevue Hospital has been treating victims from shooting incidents in the city, with the number of shooting victims in July 2025 being the lowest ever recorded for that month, as stated in the NYC Health Department's Preliminary 2025 Gun Violence Data.
- As the NYPD continues its investigation into the middle of the shooting incident, it's significant to note that the state’s strict gun laws, as documented by the Giffords Law Center, are often credited with helping maintain relatively low gun crime and justice rates compared to other states, making New York City one of the safest major cities in the United States.
