Tuesday, September 18, 2012

[Updated] Reader reports: Gun shots in the middle of the night

We've heard from a handful of residents along the northern part of Avenue A today... Each with a similar experience. A sampling:

• Heard gunshots at 3:47 Tuesday morning. Five or six shots rang out with a slight pause between each shot. I'm at 12th and Ave A. Sounded like north of here.

• Heard what sounded like 10 gunshots (?) maybe fireworks at 4am last night in the vicity of 11th and Ave A. Anybody know what it was?

• Did anyone else hear gun fire on E 13th St between A & B last night a little before 4am? We did...We heard sirens in the near distance, and saw a police van drive by with the lights blaring. It was odd because we saw the flash of the gun fire and it seemed to have been right outside our window, but no police cars stopped on our block at all.

In each case, the residents heard distance sirens... but no NYPD helicopters swooping in afterwards. Unfortunately, we don't have more to go on at the moment. Anyone else hear this?

Updated 3:36 p.m.

A reader reminded me of this sign from a post I did on Aug. 28 ... about fireworks coming from 516 E. 11th St. ...

25 comments:

M said...

I'm on 1st and 10th and I woke up to the shots last night. It was strange because they were quite a few and were so steady, not popped off quickly or in bursts.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I heard them, too. I was in bed, and I thought, that sounds like gun shots, but it isn't gun shots. It was in the wee hours of the morning. I am on 12th and A.

em said...

Heard them on south 14th between B and C...there were a few pops that sounded like firecrackers, but my gut was that they were probably bullets being fired. Definitely unnerving. Also heard the distant sirens, but nothing that sounded even remotely close to the source of the sound.

Anonymous said...

Probably Campos.

Anonymous said...

I heard it too! I'm on 12th and A. I kept waiting for the police choppers to hover over us for a few hours and shine the light on rooftops.

Anonymous said...

I thought they were fireworks. Are we sure they weren't? 13th and A.

Pinch said...

Sounded like fireworks to me too, especially because they seemed rapid and to last (though that could've been due to the way sound travels, making it SEEM to last longer than if really was or something along those lines). Sirens did follow.

Anonymous said...

Glad I'm not the only one - I heard them as well a little before 4am. I'm on south side of 14th and B, and it sounded like they were right outside my bedroom window. There were 6 or 7 shots that were quite evenly timed...

Anonymous said...

Not that I'm a ballistics expert, but a split second after the sound from the firing of each shot could be heard, there was a corresponding sound behind 508 - 512 E 12th St. from each bullet flying through the tree canopy, perhaps as the bullet was flying through or against leaves. I don't think those trees are higher than the surrounding roofs, in which case the bullets would most likely have come from the East (since the Educational Alliance building blocks the area from the west), having traveled through the relatively narrow passage formed by the rear of 517-519 E 11th St and 514-518 E 12th St. That gets you to 186 - 192 Ave B or any taller buildings east or slightly north east of those as the likely place from where the shots were fired.

Anonymous said...

Gunshots in the city are incredibly hard to pinpoint by ear. I remember in 2002 or so literally jumping out of bed in the middle of the night at what sounded like Dirty Harry's .44 going off right outside my 1st floor window. Turned out it was a guy with a rifle in the park 2 blocks away.

Anonymous said...

I am in the front of a building on 12th between A and B, and I heard the shots coming from somewhere on or above 12th Street. It sounded like it was right in front of my building, but the sound could have traveled.

Anonymous said...

Heard the same from the fifth floor on 12th and A.

Anonymous said...

I'm on the north side of 14th Street between A and B. I heard about six shots that seemed to come directly south of our location. The shots came only minutes after what sounded to be a large, clamorous gathering of people shouting in the street. I too heard police sirens several minutes after, but they were fleeting and appeared to be coming from several blocks to the east.

dwg said...

Might have been gunshots, but this has been going on since the 4th of July around 12th and A, always at night. Somebody around here still has fireworks and fires them off late at night from a rooftop, probably partying. Last time was a couple of weeks ago. Very loud and multiple bursts.

Anonymous said...

The fireworks have died down in the last few weeks, and they were late sometimes but never in the wee hours of the morning. I just don't know. I have been tortured by the fireworks, but this sounded different. But who knows? Maybe this mystery will go unsolved.

Anonymous said...

I am on 13th steet and avenue A
they sounds like shots completely you could hear them hit
but after it was all over i looked outside and didn't see any panic or anyone running the only thing i saw was the garbage guys picking up trash

Anonymous said...

It was fireworks/bottle-rockets from (the roof?) somewhere on 12th between A & B. Shot in the air towards 13th St. I saw them.

Anonymous said...

I work at night and was just getting home at that hour, wide awake. It was definitely fireworks launched off the roof.

Anonymous said...

I heard them, too. I'm on 11th btwn B & C. Sounded like fireworks. I was in the service and I can tell you that the sound of a firearm being discharged is nothing like the sound of fireworks. A weapon being fired is really unmistakable. Having said that, the report of pyrotechnics, firearms, et al, in a city environment, bouncing off buildings, can mask its true identity.

Anonymous said...

I live on the south side of 13th A-B and saw the fireworks coming from the room on a building mid-block on the north side of 12th. I saw at least two people up there and would like to personally thank them for ruining my sleep.

Anonymous said...

11th & B. Sounded like bottle rockets.

Anonymous said...

I'm on 12th between A & B and I definitely saw fireworks coming from the roof of a building on the north side of the street. Right around 4 am.

Anonymous said...

I have a pretty clear view and it was definitely fireworks. The flashes were coming from between 12th & 13th. I could see reflections of the flashes on the rooftops but not the actual fireworks or the people setting them off.. What was odd was that there were no voices, people laughing, wooing or in any way shouting in celebration. Odd.

Anonymous said...

A few weeks ago we heard 3 gunshots on 10th between b and c at 3am. The cops showed up, searched for shells etc and then left after about a half hour. It seems as if the area has been more dangerous lately and hearing those shots has definitely put me on edge, esp with a small baby in the house. I just wish there was more police presence in the area especially with all the public housing in the area

Anonymous said...

The noise was from fireworks shot off at 3:57 the other night. Woke me up and because it was dark I could see flash and hear whistle sounds. these things are a fire hazard and the person doing this shoud stop before some one gets seriously hurt.