Narrative shifts dramatically in shooting of teen girls near NYC’s Stonewall Inn

The 16-year-old girl who was shot in the head near Manhattan’s Stonewall Inn late Sunday appears to have been the initial shooter, not a bystander, according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation.

Police on Monday laid out a timeline of events that led to two teens girls getting shot. A fight broke out between two groups of young people who, police believe, knew each other. That’s when the 16-year-old girl made her way through the crowd, pulled out a gun and allegedly shot at a boy, firing the 9-millimeter gun not far from his head.

Somehow, the boy was not struck by any bullets. Instead, one of the shots hit a bystander about 100 feet away, according to police. That victim was a 17-year-old girl from New Jersey who was in the city celebrating Pride events. She was shot in the thigh, police said, and was taken to the hospital where she was expected to recover.

It was not entirely clear why the teen girl fired at the boy, but she and other members of the group with her took off immediately after. As they were running away, another boy who was with her in the group turned and started firing.

One of those shots struck the 16-year-old initial shooter in the head, police said. She suffered critical injuries, and was taken to a nearby hospital, where a law enforcement source said she was in police custody. The source also said she was not expected to be able to communicate imminently.

No specific details on possible charges for the 16-year-old were clear Monday evening. There was no description of the male gunman who allegedly hit her either.

A weapon was recovered at the scene, but it was not known which gun it was. A total of six shots were fired, with some striking food carts or nearby buildings, according to police.

There was also a 17-year-old who said she was at the scene and walked to Bellevue Hospital with a stab wound to her stomach, but it was unclear if it was related to the shots fired. She was not cooperating with police, according to a law enforcement source, and is expected to recover.

It’s not clear what prompted the shooting, which happened in Sheridan Square, steps from the historic Stonewall Inn. The neighborhood attracted tens of thousands on Sunday for the annual parade and end to Pride Month commemorations. Police did note that the shooting was not considered to be a hate crime and was not believed to be connected to Pride festivities.

Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged the shooting in a late-night post on X Sunday.

“During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating,” he wrote in part. “We’re praying for the speedy recovery of the victims in tonight’s shooting. The NYPD will work quickly and tirelessly to bring the suspects to justice.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul echoed those sentiments and said she had directed the New York State Police to offer assistance in the investigation if needed.