Teen Suspect Arrested After Times Square Shooting Leaves Three Injured

9 August 2025

Police at scene of Times Square shooting on Aug. 9. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto via AP

In the predawn calm of Saturday, August 9, the familiar glow of Times Square’s neon lights was marred by gunfire, shattering the tourist district’s sense of invincibility. At roughly 1:20 a.m., near West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue, a confrontation between a 17‑year‑old and a 19‑year‑old escalated into more than words.

The teenage suspect opened fire, striking the 19‑year‑old in the foot, a 65‑year‑old man in the leg, and grazing an 18‑year‑old woman’s neck. All three were rushed to Bellevue Hospital and are expected to recover; their injuries are being described by the NYPD as stable.

Eyewitness phone videos flooded social media feeds within moments, capturing scenes of chaos framed by Times Square’s iconic backdrop. Crowds scattered, ambulances and police swarmed, and bullet‑riddled car windows offered grim proof of how swiftly public safety can fracture. One video even showed glass embedded with bullet holes as emergency responders tended to the wounded on the pavement.

Within minutes, law enforcement officers secured the scene and detained the suspect without reported resistance. A weapon was retrieved from the vicinity, and officials confirmed that while charges have not yet been formally filed, the suspect remains in custody pending investigation.

The NYPD attributed the shooting’s genesis to what began as a verbal dispute. It remains unclear whether the individual quarrel was over personal, contextual, or random matters, or whether the parties involved were acquainted. Investigators are looking closely at these details among others.

This jarring incident unfolds against the backdrop of a promising decline in gun violence across the city. According to NYPD data, the city has recorded its lowest number of shooting incidents and victims on record for the year so far, marking a 23% drop compared to the same period last year. Still, the specter of yet another high‑profile shooting coming just weeks after a deadly Midtown tower attack rekindles anxiety over public safety even in New York’s most popular corridors.

As the investigation continues, residents, business owners, and visitors alike are grappling with a renewed question of vulnerability in one of the world’s most electrified stages. Times Square, with its nonstop energy and 24/7 bustle, has come to symbolize New York itself. Its ability to repel danger and restore a sense of wonder may depend on whether this shooting becomes an anomaly or a concerning pattern.