Innocent bystander grazed by bullet on the Upper West Side
UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- It sounded like fireworks, but it was gunfire on Central Park West by 108th street, and a 55-year-old woman was caught in the crossfire.
The victim, who didn't want to be on camera, told Eyewitness News it felt like a bee sting at first, but she quickly realized a bullet had hit her.
The shooting happened on Thursday just before 9 pm.
According to police, the gunman was riding the M10 bus southbound when he saw someone he had an ongoing dispute with - he told the bus driver to stop, stepped off and fired.
The NYPD says he missed his target but grazed the woman in the hip before running away.
The victim tells Eyewitness News she had just had dinner nearby with friends and was heading home.
Long-time residents of the neighborhood are stunned.
"I love this city. This city has been my home forever. I've lived here forever. And it breaks my heart. It really does," one resident named Eileen said.
"It's becoming frightening. I'm a native New Yorker, so I've seen a lot, you know, things come and go, especially in this area. But it's very concerning," Gayle Samuels said.
This isn't the first unsettling instance of an innocent bystander getting shot recently.
In Harlem in April, a beloved neighborhood grandmother was shot in the head and killed as she stepped outside to check on people fighting.
A day later in the Bronx, stray bullets killed a 28-year-old man and struck a 33-year-old woman in the hip.
Police are still looking for the suspect in this latest incident.
The victim said she is okay but very upset. She can't get over the randomness of the violence, saying "you can't protect yourself, you can't outthink it, and you can't predict it."
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
