United States: Under the fading neon glow of Pride’s closing celebrations, gunfire shattered the joyful energy of Manhattan’s Sheridan Square late Sunday night. What began as a vibrant culmination of Pride Month ended in bedlam, as authorities reported a 16-year-old girl was struck in the head—accidentally shot by a comrade after she herself unintentionally wounded a passerby.
The chaos broke loose just past 10 p.m., in the heart of the West Village, not far from the storied Stonewall Inn. A vibrant crowd filled the square, their cheers and chants suddenly eclipsed by sharp cracks of gunshots. According to police, the teenage girl and a male companion inexplicably opened fire into the throng. In the confusion, the girl’s bullet hit a 17-year-old bystander in the ankle. Moments later, she herself crumpled, her skull pierced by an errant shot discharged by her own associate.
“It was surreal,” said Conor Weiss, 66, a longtime resident out walking his dog when the pandemonium erupted. “One moment it was music and chatter—next, a thunderclap and frantic screaming. I saw officers darting across both directions,” according to nydailynews.com.
The jubilant Pride March, which draws millions annually, had concluded earlier in the day. Still, the West Village throbbed with joy until the harrowing eruption of violence.
Weiss recalled the sight of the wounded older girl. “She lay on the pavement with a tourniquet clamped around her leg. Despite her injury, she remained conscious and conversed with officers.”
Paramedics whisked the 16-year-old to Bellevue Hospital in dire condition. The 17-year-old, her ankle injured by the stray bullet, was transported to Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital for treatment.
Authorities say the masked gunman—described as a man donning a black facial covering—fled the scene and remains at large. Officers recovered a firearm and six spent shell casings amid the aftermath, as reported by nydailynews.com.
“There was a mass of people crowding the intersection, and police quickly erected barricades to secure the zone,” added Weiss, describing the disorder that followed.
Mayor Eric Adams addressed the tragedy via X late that evening, posting, “In a moment meant for celebration and unity, this sort of violence is heartbreaking. The NYPD will exhaust every effort to apprehend those involved.”
Such incidents are nearly unheard of in the NYPD’s Sixth Precinct, which had reported no shootings this calendar year through June 22, nor during the same period the prior year.
Jake Farrell, 33, a nearby resident, recounted the atmosphere just minutes before chaos struck. “It was electric—laughter, flags, music. The last thing on anyone’s mind was gunfire. I can’t recall anything this horrifying happening here in recent memory.”