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Penn Station: Gunman Kills One, Injures Two Near Busy Station, Manhunt Is Underway In Midtown Manhattan [Breaking]

By Patricia Didelot
Published on: 23:33 PST, Nov 8, 2015

A shooting near Penn Station rocked Midtown Manhattan early Monday morning as commuters headed to start their work week. Police are reporting that one person was killed and two were injured at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and West 35th Street.

Details are just starting to come in, indicating that the Penn Station shooting occurred before 6:15 a.m. Eastern Time. Authorities say two of the victims were rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.

Police called for a Level 2 mobilization, according to ABC 7, and are pursuing a suspect in the shooting near Penn Station, who they believe fled north on Eighth Avenue in a vehicle. The gunman is still at large at this time in one of the busiest cities in the world.

According to reports on social media, the Penn Station area in question is in chaos Monday morning, as police seek the gunman responsible.

Dozens of NYPD officers responded to the shooting location a block away from Penn Station. The sidewalk was cordoned off as commuters tried to avoid the area while going to work. Witnesses who heard the shots fired told NBC 4 New York the argument may have stemmed from a fight inside a fast food restaurant.

UPDATE: Information continues to be sketchy as an intense manhunt for the Penn Station gunman continues in the midst of Monday morning rush hour in Midtown Manhattan. NYPD has neither confirmed nor denied if the assailant is in custody, but the latest information is that authorities are seeking a vehicle fleeing the scene of the crime.

Fox News reports one of the victims of the Penn Station gunman was shot in the leg and another was shot in the stomach, police says. All three shooting victims are in their forties, according to Newsday.

NBC New York reports the Penn Station shooting happened outside a McDonalds restaurant, about a block away from the very busy train station. Two men who visit the nearby West Midtown Medical Group said they knew two of the victims and said both came to the clinic for years. However, neither witnessed the shooting, Michael Gessow said.

“This kind of thing doesn’t happen over here. There’s a group of us here that don’t let things like this go down here. They were real nice guys, straight guys. I can’t believe it.”

A security guard at the clinic said there was no official comment about the Penn State shooting at this time. The clinic treats people with drug addiction problems, according to the reports. Police were interviewing patients and officials at the building located about half a block away from where the gunman opened fire.

NYPD has cordoned off 35th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues and detectives were interviewing people at a McDonald’s near the subway entrance, where a cane could be seen resting on the top steps, the Associated Press reports. It was not clear whether some of the subway lines in the area were closed, but police had taped off two entrances.

After the Penn Station shooting heavy police presence is still visible in the area as Monday morning rush hour was disrupted for thousands of commuters. No motive has been revealed by NYPD.

[Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images]

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