Man killed by police after shooting at mob in New York cathedral

A man was killed by police in New York on Sunday afternoon, after go shoot a crowd gathered to attend a Christmas carol concert outside a church in this city in the United States.

There were no injuries among the crowd, gathered near the catedral St John The Divine in Manhattan, said New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.

Three police officers who intervened in the operation fired 15 shots at the assailant, whose identity was not disclosed, hitting him at least once in the head. The man was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died.

Police found two handguns at the scene and a nearby handbag containing a can full of gasoline, cables, ropes and many knives, added the commissioner.

A spokeswoman for the New York Police Department previously said officers used their guns after the man started shooting.

Shortly before 4 p.m. the 45-minute concert had just ended and people were starting to walk away when they started running and yelling on Amsterdam Avenue when they heard the bangs. The agents who offered protection for the event quickly mobilized and fired at the assailant,

Witness Martha Stolley noted that the man fired eight or ten times before he was injured by police, shooting “without aiming” and shouting “Shoot me, kill me!”

Some of the attendees, including the Bishop of New York, Reverend Andrew Dietsche, ran to take refuge inside the church before the police appeared.

According to US media, the attacker was dressed entirely in black, wearing a cap, backpack and mask with the flag of the Dominican Republic.

One of the city’s Democratic councilors, Mark D. Levine, said the suspect “appeared to have a mental illness.”

“The concert was really beautiful and at the end this person started to tour. Everyone is in shock,” Lisa Schubert, a spokesperson for the cathedral, told The New York Times. “The perpetrator could have killed many people. There were hundreds of people here and he shot at least 20 times.”

“Cathedral parishioners, concert audiences, clergy and staff are safe,” said New York Episcopal Diocese spokesperson Isadora Wilkenfeld.

For her part, the church spokesperson lamented, “Our community Christmas carol event this afternoon was interrupted by an armed individual, who fired a series of bullets into the air from our homes. no. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among those present, and the suspect is in custody. “

“It’s horrible that our choir giveaway in New York, an afternoon in dire need of song and unity, ended sooner with this shocking act of violence,” Iva Benson reported via email. .

With information from AFP, DPA and AP