Man Shot Dead in Car on UES

Police are investigating a shooting that left a 20-year-old man dead inside the backseat of a car Monday on the Upper East Side.

A surveillance video broadcast by CBS New York shows the gunman getting into the backseat of a Honda HRV on East 95th Street between Park and Lexington avenues around 2:30 p.m. One minute later, while another passenger looks for something in the trunk, the gunman shoots the victim inside the car.

The gunman then gets out of the car and gets back in while the car tries to drive away before it crashes into a parked vehicle a few feet away. The suspect fled the scene in a light-colored sedan, according to police.

With a gunshot wound to the stomach, the victim – whose name has not been released by police – was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made as of Tuesday afternoon and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

Monday’s shooting followed a weekend of gun violence in which police reported nearly 30 separate shooting incidents across the city. NYPD data from the 19th precinct shows that the incident on 95th Street was the third shooting recorded in the neighborhood this year, compared to one shooting by this time in 2020.

Crime overall on the UES, however, is down compared to last year. Fewer burglaries, robberies and assaults have been recorded this year. Only rape and car theft have seen a marginal uptick in the neighborhood.

Two Upper East Side elected officials spoke out in alarm following Monday’s shooting, calling for the city to take action on gun violence.

“Monday’s shooting on 95th Street is a tragedy. All New Yorkers should feel safe on our streets. On a local and federal level, action is overdue to meaningfully address gun violence,” said Council Member Keith Powers, who represents District 4 – where the shooting took place. “I am exploring legislation in the Council to address gun violence, as well as addressing any community concerns. My thoughts are with the victim and their family.”

Assembly Member Dan Quart, who is also in the running to become Manhattan’s District Attorney, said the shooting was a “tragic continuation” of a rise in gun violence over the past year and addressing the trend would be a top concern if elected to be the borough’s prosecutor.

“If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t continue using the same narrow set of tools to tackle gun violence – we must think bigger to keep our families safe and restore public safety,” said Quart. “Taking guns off the street, helping precincts solve gun cases, and finally addressing the root causes of violence will all be part of how I keep families safe as District Attorney.”