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Police shot and killed a man after opening fire from the steps of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, just after an outdoor choir performance.
New York Police Department spokesman Sgt. Edward Riley said the gunman had fired at police, but no officers or bystanders are believed to have been injured in the afternoon violence on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
The suspect, who was not identified, was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, Sgt. New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea later said the gunman had died.
“It is by the grace of God today,” Shea said, that no one but the gunman was hurt.
The man had an extensive criminal history and was carrying a backpack that contained a gas can, string, wire, duct tape, knives and a well-worn Bible, Shea said. The police commissioner described the actions of the officers as “heroic”.
The shooting in front of the Episcopal (or Anglican) Church Cathedral, located at Amsterdam Avenue and West 112th Street, occurred about 15 minutes after the conclusion of an open-air choir performance on the steps that drew an audience of about 200 people.
The choir’s annual Christmas concert had been moved abroad in accordance with Covid-19 health and safety rules.
“It was just beautiful, and then at the end, this person started shooting. Everyone is in shock, “a cathedral spokeswoman, Lisa Schubert, told 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. “
Only about 15 people were still present when the gunman appeared at the top of the steps, shouting “Kill me” and “Shoot me” while firing a pistol, causing passersby to run for cover in panic, according to a Reuters photographer. who was at the scene.
Police officers who had taken cover ordered the suspect several times to drop the gun before shooting him, the photographer said. Choir members were already inside the church at the time of the shooting, which lasted several minutes, he said.
Reuters photos of the gunman showed him wearing a black winter coat, a white baseball-style cap and a face mask adorned with the Dominican Republic flag, as he wielded two pistols, one in each hand. He also wore a large backpack strapped to his shoulders.
Police said officers recovered two firearms from the scene after the shooting.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter that “the swift action of our NYPD officers kept the crowd safe.”
