Hunt Gang Triggerman In Jackson Heights Shootings

Queens detectives and the New York Police Department (NYPD) Gang Unit officers are scouring the streets of Jackson Heights this week searching for a gang hit man who stalked and shot five people on May 24, spraying four bystanders with a volley of shots meant for his intended target.

Police said the shooter opened fire at 11:40 a.m. under the Number 7 train on Roosevelt Avenue between 80th and 81st Streets, striking a 21-year-old man he had been chasing in and out of crowds on the busy commercial strip.

The victim tried to evade the gunman by ducking into the El Rincon De J. Jaramillo Restaurant, but he was struck by a barrage of gunfire when the suspect fired through a window at the front of the restaurant, police said.

The gunman fled into the crowd, leaving his intended victim bleeding on the floor of the restaurant.

The gunman also struck a 45-year-old man in the chest and left a woman bleeding on the sidewalk near 80th Street, police said. Bullets grazed a 39-year-old man and a 31-year-old man who told police they tried to dive for cover when they heard the "pop, pop, pop" of gunfire and realized they were caught in a wild shooting spree.

Angry lawmakers gathered at a press conference on May 25, where they demanded increased police presence on Roosevelt Avenue and an NYPD crackdown on gang related violence in the area.

The Roosevelt Avenue corridor has seen an increase in police presence recently, after the strip was designated an "Operation Impact" zone by NYPD officials. An Impact zone calls for increased enforcement by rookie cops who walk a beat in these areas, along with police from specialized drug, burglary and anti-crime units.

All five victims were taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where the 45-year-old man is listed in serious condition with a chest wound. The intended victim and the female victim are both listed in stable condition at Elmhurst Hospital Center. The two other victims were treated and released at the hospital, authorities said.

Police sources said investigators are trying to determine if the incident is related to another gangrelated shooting that took place in the area in early May.

Police are seeking help from the public to identify and locate the gunman, described as Hispanic, approximately 5-feet, 8-inches tall. The suspect was wearing a dark jacket over a white shirt and jeans at the time of the shootings, police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Crimestoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. The Hotline is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman.