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Police fatally shot a man in the head on the steps of a historic New York City cathedral after he began firing two semiautomatic pistols at the end of a Christmas choral concert, police said.
A detective, a sergeant and an officer fired 15 rounds after the man began firing just before 4 p.m. Sunday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said.
Ted Shaffrey / AP
New York police officers block the scene of a shooting at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, on December 13, 2020, in New York.
“It is by the grace of God today,” Shea said, that no one but the gunman was hurt.
Witnesses told police the man was yelling “kill me” while shooting, Shea said. The man’s name was withheld pending positive identification.
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Ted Shaffrey / AP
Emergency medical personnel carry a stretcher to the scene of a shooting at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York on Sunday.
The man had a long criminal history and was carrying a bag containing a gas can, rope, wire, knives and a Bible, Shea said. The police commissioner described the actions of the officers as “heroic”.
The 45-minute concert had just ended and people were starting to walk away when a series of shots was heard that made people run down Amsterdam Avenue screaming and throwing themselves onto the sidewalk.
Before the shooting began, the concert featured members of the cathedral choir standing far apart on the stone steps wearing masks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was just beautiful, and then at the end, this person started shooting. Everybody is in shock, ”said a cathedral spokeswoman, Lisa Schubert, The New York Times. “The shooter could have killed a lot of people. There were hundreds of people here and he shot at least 20 times. “
It was unclear whether the gunman was pointing at people or shooting into the air.
“Our Community Carols event this afternoon was interrupted by an armed individual, who fired a round of shots into the air from our front steps. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the attendees and the suspect is in custody, “Cathedral spokeswoman Iva Benson said by email.” It is horrible that our choir’s gift to New York City, a much needed afternoon of song and unity, has been cut short by this shocking act of violence. “
The cathedral is one of the largest in the world. Construction began in 1892 and is still incomplete. The church has been connected to many New York luminaries and notable events throughout its long history. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was administrator. It hosted memorial services for puppeteer Jim Henson and choreographer Alvin Ailey, and speakers throughout the years, including South Africa’s Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
