Video shows chaotic moments after 16-year-old boy is shot in Queens
The NYPD is searching for the shooter of a 16-year-old boy in Queens.
What started as a dispute on a bus Tuesday afternoon quickly spread to a scuffle that ended in gunfire in Oakland Gardens, police said.
Cellphone video shows the moment people started running over to help after the teenage boy was shot on Springfield Boulevard and Union Turnpike.
The latest on the police investigation
Witnesses said it all started on a bus, which came to a stop in front of a chicken and burger restaurant. A group of teens then got off, and a altercation ensued before spreading across the street to a BP gas station. Then, the single gunshot rang out.
The 16-year-old ran back toward the bus stop, before realizing he had been shot, police said. He is now listed in serious but stable condition at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
So far, there have been no arrests and no description of the suspect.
"I saw a bunch of kids running back and forth"
Witnesses described what was a chaotic scene.
"I couldn't see where the gunshot was coming from, but I saw a bunch of kids running back and forth," said Anthony Muratov, of Groomurrs Barbershop.
"The guy was laid down with the gunshot right on his chest," said Andy Patel, of Quick Stop Deli and Grocery.
One witness didn't want to be identified out of fear for his safety.
"I saw them pick him up, put him on the stretcher and put him in the ambulance," the witness said.
"They fight all the time"
Neighbors said students fighting has become a regular occurrence in this otherwise quiet neighborhood.
"There's hundreds of them. They all fight all the time. They block the traffic," the witness said.
Nearby business owners said they want to see more police presence.
"This is the first time one of the kids got in a gunfight," said a man named Joel, from Riviera V Pizzeria.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.