Councilman Among those Shot in City Hall Gunfire: Many Roads Closed, and Mass Transit Affected
(Lower Manhattan-AP, July 23, 2003) — A gunman opened fire today at City Hall, in the balcony of the second-floor City Council chambers. It happened during a hearing in the council chambers, and a city councilman is among those hurt. The shooter has not been caught.Ten shots, fired shortly after 2 p.m., sent reporters in the press room diving for cover beneath their desks. Loud screaming echoed through City Hall as the gunfire began, and continued for about three minutes. Soon after, Newscopter 7 watched as two people were taken out on stretchers and taken to NYU Downtown Hospital.
Eyewitness News is told Councilman James Davis is one of those shot. That news comes from his office. A police officer at the scene says Davis was shot twice in the chest.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was on the first floor when the shots were fired on the second floor. A spokesman for the mayor said that he was in his office at the time of the shooting and was not hurt.
The front of City Hall has been closed off because police officers and a EMS workers. There is alot of activity going on in front of the building. The Brooklyn Bridge was shut down to traffic as police began their investigation. Many streets are closed.
Here's the impact on traffic as of 2:48pm:
There is police activity in the area of city hall on the following lines : N, R, 4,5,6, and Cnnections for the J, M, and Z, lines.
On the FDR, expect delays from Brooklyn Bridge to 34th Street
Motorists are told to avoid the area of City Hall if they can. The streets immediately around City Hall are closed. Southbound Broadway is closed at Duane St. Chambers is closed both ways at Church Street. Park Row is closed at Spruce Street.
Police officers, including some in riot gear, were seen running across the plaza in front of the building once the shooting stopped. It was not immediately known if the shooter was captured. The City Council was holding a meeting on Wednesday, but it was unclear if the shooting was related to the session. A witness, Tom Curry, said a man on the second-floor balcony pulled a handgun and began firing across at a second man. Curry, an attorney for the City Council, had no further details. The entrances and exits to the building were sealed off, and a stretcher was rushed inside by police in flak jackets.