Heavy
Police shot a gunman who opened fire at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City on the afternoon of December 13, according to the New York Police Department. Multiple reports say the gunman started firing on the steps as a Christmas concert was either just ending or still unfolding.
No one but the gunman was injured by the bullets. A dramatic video, which you can see here, shows the moment police shot the gunman.
A spokeswoman for the NYPD stold Heavy.com that about 345 p.m. on December 13, multiple 911 calls came in “for a shots fired” incident in the vicinity of west 112th and Amsterdam Avenue. That’s the general location of the church.
“Officers arrived on scene. They observed a male discharging a firearm at the location,” the spokeswoman told Heavy. “Officers engaged the individual, returned fire, striking the perpetrator.” She said the suspect was taken to an area hospital, where he is in critical condition.
A man was shot by police after shots rang out at the end of a Christmas choral concert on the steps of a Manhattan cathedral Sunday afternoon. t.co/sXsxm7rXmD
“No one else was injured at the time by a gunshot wound,” she said, adding that multiple officers suffered tinnitus. She said the motive is not yet clear, and could not release the suspect name because the investigation remains “very preliminary.”
The cathedral is prominent. “The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Seat of its Bishop, is chartered as a house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership,” its website says. “It serves the many diverse people of our Diocese, City, Nation and World through an array of liturgical, cultural and civic events; pastoral, educational and community outreach activities; and maintains the preservation of the great architectural and historic site that is its legacy.”
BREAKING: NYPD respond to shots fired at St. John the Divine Church in New York City
Here’s what you need to know:
The Shooting Broke Out as a Christmas Choral Concert Was Ending, Reports Say
Shooting Incident – Manhattan Ny W 112 St and Amsterdam Ave at the Cathedral Church. 1 Shooter on scaffolding actively firing on police. Shooter neutralized no civilian or LEO injuries reported.
According to The Washington Times, the shooting broke out on the steps of the Manhattan cathedral as a Christmas choral concert had just ended.
According to the New York Daily News, however, “The man reached the stairs” of the church “as its choir was singing carols, and started blasting bullets into the air.” The man, in his 50s, was shot in the head by two officers, according to the Daily News.
The newspaper reported that the shooting occurred just before 4 p.m. at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. The man was shot by police “after shots rang out,” the newspaper reported.
The Associated Press reported that the shooting rang out as people walked on the steps after the concert, and the gunman was wielding a rifle. The officers who opened fire were there to provide security, according to the AP.
Multiple Guns Were Found at the Scene, Reports Say
Outside the Cathedral of Saint John. It’s not clear if there’s another shooter left inside the church. An officer earlier said so. It appears one person who was shooting a gun outside the church was shot by police.
Hayley Miller, a reporter with the Huffington Post, wrote on Twitter, “BREAKING: NYPD tells me an individual was shooting at Cathedral of St. John the Divine.” Police “engaged” the man, who was then taken to St. Luke’s hospital “with critical injuries,” she reported.
“Multiple guns were retrieved at the scene,” Miller reported, but she says there were no other injuries.
Gale Brewer, borough president of Manhattan, wrote on Twitter, “There has been a shooting at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine after their Christmas concert—my Chief of Staff and press secretary who were present are safe. We don’t have a lot of information but our gratitude goes out to first responders @NYPD24Pct @NYPDnew.”
Singer/actor Pia Glenn wrote on Twitter, “I was on FT when it happened, with my Aunt, who lives 2 blocks from the Cathedral. She also holds a position in the Episcopal Diocese. She didn’t hear the shots,but she heard commotion and then helicopters and was like “I gotta go, there’s been a shooting.”
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