FRESH MEADOWS, Queens (WABC) – Three teenagers were shot dead, including an innocent 14-year-old girl, while shooting at a car in Queens believed to be linked to a gang on Wednesday afternoon.
Police say two cars stopped a group of 10 to 12 teenagers walking on the sidewalk near 64-50 188th Street in Fresh Meadows shortly after 4 p.m.
Then an armed man got out of his vehicle, exchanged words with two of the teenagers and fired several shots at the group before getting back into the vehicle and leaving.
“Suddenly I hear gunshots and it’s as if I know it’s gunshots, not fireworks,” said a witness named Vincent. “I told my son to come inside.”
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The 14-year-old girl, who is believed to have been walking in the area and was not part of the group, was hit in the neck.
Police said not everyone knew each other, and some had returned from a nearby Francis Lewis High School.
Two 18-year-old men were also shot dead, one of whom may have been the intended target.
The girl was taken to the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in critical but stable condition.
The two men were kicked and taken to NY Presbyterian Queens in stable condition.
“I was inside, just working and I heard rapid fire,” another witness said. “Just quick shots, then it was quiet and then a lot of sirens.”
Vincent waited for the shooting to stop, then went outside.
“I happen to see a lady in front of our car, hysterical and crying, saying, ‘They just shot a girl,'” he said. “I see this is a group of children from Fresh Meadows, one of the girls was shot in the neck. To see a 14-year-old girl hurt like that, I have a 5-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son. Just very sad. “
There is currently no description of the car or the shooter.
No detainees have been detained so far, and the investigation is ongoing.
In response to the shooting nearby, the Ministry of Education brought in a metal detector to check on students entering the school on Thursday morning and found 20 weapons, such as knives, during an unannounced search.
No weapons were found.
“There should be no doubt that maintaining New York’s security is my top priority,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Our schools are safe because teachers, school leaders and school safety staff work in close coordination to create a supportive environment for students where they can focus on their school work, not their safety. As violent crime and general incidents in schools decrease, we can and will always strive for safer schools. It is unacceptable for forbidden items to be carried to school, which is why our school security agents conduct random scans throughout the city every day. Today’s random scan at Francis Lewis High School showed a number of prohibited items, but not a single gun. We will continue to focus on keeping our schools safe so that our young people can focus on learning. “
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The Ministry of Education did not comment on the shooting.
“It was not about school,” spokesmen said. “As always, mental health services are available when an event affects the school community.”
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