New York City police fatally shot a man who opened fire during a Christmas choral concert on Sunday.
As the concert was coming to an end at around 3:45 p.m., the suspect pulled out his semiautomatic weapon and opened fire just outside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, The Washington Post reports.
A video of the incident spread online, and viewers can see the suspect standing in front of the cathedral’s main entrance, dressed in a black jacket and white baseball cap. In each of his hands, he is holding a gun and continuously shouting, “kill me, kill me!” as police yell for him to drop his weapon.
On Sunday, New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said an officer and a detective were at the scene and performed a “heroic” act to take the shooter down. The two authority figures shot at the man 15 times, The Post reports. Shea explained the man was hit in the head and was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. “It is by the grace of God today that we don’t have anyone struck, he said, noting that there are no details about the suspect’s motive. Authorities also retrieved the suspect’s bag, filled with several knives, gasoline, wire, and rope.
The suspect was identified; police officers say he had a long history of criminal activity. The incident took place on the historical cathedral steps, during the first public event since Covid-19 struck the nation, The Post reports.
People who witnessed the shooting posted videos of moments before the attack. “Cowards will not silence us. Hate cannot win. Here’s my favorite hymn, sung from the steps of St. John the Divine, minutes before an active shooter opened fire from right where we had been standing,” one person wrote in a tweet.
Police are still investigating the incident and the shooter’s motive.
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