The shooting took place near the Stonewall Inn (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Two girls were shot not far from the famous Stonewall Inn in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village just hours after the New York Pride march passed by.
The incident took place at about 10pm on Sunday (29 June) in Sheridan Square, just a few minutes’ walk from the historic LGBTQ+ venue and national monument – the site of the Stonewall Riots in June 1969.
A 16-year-old girl was said to be in a critical condition after being shot in the head. The other, who is 17, was in stable condition with a bullet wound to her leg, an NYPD said, according to NBC News.
A gun was found at the scene but it was too early to say whether or not the incident was an anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime and related to Pride, the spokesperson added. No arrests have been made.
Responding to the shootings, mayor Eric Adams wrote on X/Twitter: “Saddened to learn about the shooting by the Stonewall Inn tonight as Pride celebrations were winding down. During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating.
“We’re praying for the speedy recovery of the victims. The NYPD will work quickly and tirelessly to bring the suspects to justice.”
Bystanders were left shocked by the incident. One person told the New York Post: “This area has been packed with people all day, and we were getting ready to party through the night. Then, all of a sudden, ‘boom boom, boom’, everyone’s ducking and running for cover and screaming. It was pandemonium.”
Another Pride-goer told NBC New York that she was hear-broken by what happened.
A spokesperson for the Christopher Street Project, a not-for-profit organisation that works to elect trans allies to public office, said they were “holding the victims of the shooting, and their families, in our hearts, adding: “As we await more information, we emphasise what we know to be true: those spewing violent rhetoric against queer and trans people must be held accountable for the climate of hate they help create.
“We demand justice, safety and dignity for all LGBTQ+ people everywhere.”
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