Two injured in a shooting in front of an iconic New York restaurant

New York, Apr 30 (EFE) .- Two people who were dining on the terrace of the iconic New York restaurant Peter Luger Steak House were injured on Thursday night after another of the diners, who was arguing with a relative, took out a pistol and start firing.
The dispute began around 9:45 p.m. local time between two customers who were sitting at a table inside the restaurant, located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, local media reported on Friday.
After starting a heated discussion, the two individuals left the restaurant, where the establishment has a terrace for diners who prefer to eat in an outdoor area, and one of them, a 24-year-old man, began to shoot his rival.
However, the shots ended up wounding two other people who were dining at the restaurant: a 30-year-old man, who was shot in the shoulder, and another 57-year-old man, who was wounded in the stomach.
The shooting caused panic scenes in the establishment, in which customers and employees desperately tried to hide to avoid the bullets.
Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, in Manhattan, where they are in stable condition.
Following the shooting, the author, identified by the media as Arkies Sommerville, fled on foot, but was arrested by security forces several blocks from the scene, where the weapon used was also recovered.
This Friday, the police filed charges against Sommerville, who has been charged with attempted murder and possession of weapons. According to authorities, the attacker was so drunk when he was arrested that he had to be taken to hospital before being questioned.
The Peter Luger Steak House, which dates back to 1887, is known as one of the best restaurants in New York for meat, and has been awarded a Michelin star.
The event joins a long list of violent crimes that are taking place in New York, where according to the latest police figures, there has been a 95% increase in shootings last March and a rise in homicides of 60 %.
The security forces revealed that they are investigating a total of 96 shootings that occurred from the beginning of March to April 4 of this year, almost double the 49 that occurred in the same period of 2020.

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