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Times Square Shooting Suspect Arrested In Florida
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published May 12, 2021
Modified May 12, 2021
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Alba Vigaray/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published May 12, 2021
Modified May 12, 2021
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Federal authorities have arrested the alleged gunman who shot three bystanders, including a toddler, in Times Square last weekend.
Farrakhan Muhammad, a 32-year-old CD vendor, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals on Wednesday, the NYPD announced. He was located nearly a thousand miles from the crime scene, sitting in a McDonald's parking lot just outside of Jacksonville, Florida, alongside his girlfriend and two dogs.
Police believe that Muhammad had attempted to shoot his brother, who was also selling CDs, following a territorial dispute in Times Square on the afternoon of May 8th. Instead, the bullets struck two women — Wendy Magrinat, 23, and Marcela Aldana, 43 — as well as 4-year-old Skye Martinez, who was hit in the leg while in a stroller. All of the victims are expected to make a full recovery, officials said.
At a press conference on Wednesday, NYPD brass said that Muhammad had attempted to change his appearance, including shaving his dreadlocks and changing his clothes, after fleeing New York City. He was identified in security camera footage leaving Times Square, and spotted again in video surveillance in South Carolina on Tuesday,
Sources told NY1 that Muhammad's car ran out of gas in Florida, where residents are facing shortages after a ransomware attack that knocked out a major pipeline. Police officials said they had no information about the car's fuel levels.
The shooting comes as gun violence has surged in New York City. There were 149 shootings last month, according to NYPD, data up from 56 in the same time period last year and 62 in April of 2019.
The broad daylight incident brought renewed attention to the rise in shootings, which has emerged as a dominant issue in the mayor's race. Earlier this week, Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed to send more officers to Times Square, one of the most heavily-policed areas of the city.
Still, the head of the city's Hotel Association, Vijay Dandapani, told Gothamist that the shooting would likely discourage tourists at a time when the city is attempting to coax back visitors.
At Wednesday's press conference, NYPD officials praised the speed of the arrest and thanked the members of the fugitive task force. "The eyes of the world were watching," NYPD Chief of Detective said. "Here we are four days later with an apprehension."
Muhammad is expected to be brought back to New York City to face charges.
In a tweet, Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote: "You commit gun violence in New York City, you will face the consequences. No matter how far you run."
This story has been updated.
Tagged
shooting
Times Square
gun violence
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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