Certain NYC schools on high alert following series of shootings nearby

NYC schools on alert after string of shootings

The NYPD has increased its presence outside of the MLK Education Complex on Wednesday after a student was shot there Tuesday morning.

NEW YORK - A handful of Upper Manhattan schools are on high alert after three separate shootings Tuesday nearby, all within five hours, that the NYPD said could be connected and gang-related.

Police activated a level two mobilization at several schools that remained in effect for many through the start of school Wednesday morning.

The first shooting reportedly started as a dispute between four or five teen males Wednesday just before 10 a.m. on the corner of West 68th and Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side.

According to police, a 17-year-old was shot multiple times. The suspect then took off.

Why police believe all the shootings are connected

Three separate shootings Tuesday near NYC schools are possibly all connected, and gang-related.

"I just heard five gunshots, and people screaming and running," a man who heard the gunshots said.

Authorities said the teen ran about two blocks into Martin Luther King Jr. High School, where he was apparently a student. The school was placed on lockdown and 911 was called.

Police responded quickly to both scenes.

NYPD provides update on shooting

The NYPD provided an update Tuesday afternoon on the Upper West Side shooting.

The teen was taken to a hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

With the help of witnesses, police arrested the 19-year-old alleged gunman. He was apprehended in a yellow taxi about one block away from the scene. A firearm was also recovered, police said.

According to police, the suspect has three prior arrests – two for narcotic sales this year, and one indictment for a 2021 robbery with a firearm. He is out on bail.

Previous coverage: Teen shot on Upper West Side

Police are investigating after a trio of shootings on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, including one that saw a school placed on lockdown after an injured victim ran inside. Police say the shootings are all related and connected to gang activity.

A few hours later, a shooting took place near 128th and Madison Avenue in East Harlem. A 16-year-old was shot in the leg. An innocent bystander was also caught in the crossfire, police said. Both are expected to survive. Police believe the teen was the intended target.

Shortly after that incident, shots were fired near 105th St. and Park Avenue. Police found four shell casings in the area.