NEW YORK – An armed suspect, who allegedly fired an unknown number of bullets outside a Manhattan church, died Sunday afternoon after being shot in the head by police officers, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said.
The shots were first reported around 3:45 p.m., on the front steps of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, near Morningside Park, just after an annual Christmas concert event.
A police officer and a community affairs detective, who were already on the scene, and with the help of a sergeant who was nearby, quickly confronted the attacker, Shea said at a news conference several hours later. The three officers reportedly fired 15 rounds, he said.
The alleged gunman was hit in the head and taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead.
Two firearms and a bag from the suspect containing gasoline, ropes, cables, several knives, tape and a bible were recovered at the scene, Shea added. He said the exact number of rounds fired by the suspect was not yet known. Investigators had a tentative identification of the suspect, but were not yet ready to reveal his name.
Two senior law enforcement officials told investigators at our sister network News 4 that they believe the attacker’s intention was to have the police shoot him. Several witnesses to the shooting say they heard the man yelling at police to shoot him.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer confirmed the shooting in a tweet shortly after 4 p.m. She said that two of her employees were at the church’s Christmas concert at the time of the shooting, but they were fine.
