A man was shot dead on Thursday a few blocks from the heart of New York's Times Square tourist hub, which last year was made a gun-free zone, police said. The 22-year-old man, who was not identified, later died at Mount Sinai West hospital, the New York Police Department said in a statement. The shooting, outside a fast-food restaurant near the illuminated electronic billboards and tourist hordes of Times Square, sent frightened bystanders running, local media reported. Since September, New York state's legislature banned the possession of firearms in sensitive areas, such as bars, libraries, schools, government buildings, hospitals and vulnerable, heavily trafficked locations, including in the ever-bustling Times Square. New York City's Democratic mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer, last year unveiled "Times Square: Gun Free Zone" signage for posting in and around the busy center of Manhattan.

Source: International New York Times February 10, 2023 22:08 UTC