Although he was not the intended target, a 21-year-old man was shot during an altercation in Times Square.
What We Know:
- Sunday evening, a group of vendors got into an altercation near Broadway and one pulled out a gun and started to fire off shots. One of the alleged gunman’s bullets struck Samuel Poulin in the back, while he was standing near a Starbucks with family. NBC New York reported that a family member was able to remove the bullet from Poulin’s back and give it to law enforcement for evidence. Poulin was able to stand on his own and was then taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
- Poulin graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, this year as a 2nd Lieutenant. While attending the school he showcased leadership qualities, was a President List cadet, and graduated with a degree in Physics. Gen. Glenn M. Walters, president of The Citadel, posted on Twitter that Poulin is in stable condition.
We are sending our prayers and our love to 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Poulin, ’21, his new wife and his family. pic.twitter.com/VeO4lFl7vd
— The Citadel (@Citadel1842) June 28, 2021
- This shooting is the 2nd shooting in a month to happen in Times Square. On May 8th, a fight broke out amongst a group of guys and one of them pulled out a gun and began to shoot. A 4-year-old little girl, along with a 23-year-old woman, was shot in the leg. A 43-year-old woman was shot in the foot and all three victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. The little girl underwent a successful surgery and the other two remained in stable condition. The gunman, Farrakhan Muhammad, 31, was arrested days later in Florida.
- According to the New York Times, as of June 20th, close to 800 people have been shot in New York City. There have been almost 700 shootings in the area and a 48% increase in victims. Mayor Bill de Blasio believes there is a pattern of shootings in Times Square and he plans on addressing it aggressively, stating, “it’s just an unacceptable state of affairs. This is a place that is so precious and so important to our city – it has to be safe.”
- The NYPD has released footage of Sunday’s alleged gunman walking around Times Square after the shooting.
UPDATE: New video of the suspect that discharged a firearm, striking a 21-year-old male bystander in Manhattan. If you have any info contact @NYPDTips at ☎️800-577-TIPS. https://t.co/FUznDRciFJ pic.twitter.com/EP44OCilOR
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 28, 2021
- Due to the increase in shootings in Times Square, the NYPD’s Chief of Department, Rodney Harrison and de Blasio revealed the Times Square Safety Action Plan. This plan will place over 50 new officers, as well as undercover ones, into the area to help curb gun violence. They believe one of the biggest issues in the area is the “soliciting and aggressive panhandling of CDs.” De Blasio plans on “flooding” the zone with officers, in order to make the popular tourist area safe.
No arrests have been made yet in connection to Sunday’s shooting, nor have NYPD been able to locate the gun that was used. Harrison and de Blasio’s new policing plan went into effect Monday.
