Photo: AFP
At least two people were injured in a shooting outside the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City after a LGBTQ+ Pride parade.
On Sunday (June 29), gunfire erupted around 10 p.m. near the Stonewall Inn at 3 Sheridan Square in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood, per ABC News.
Police said the shooting victims included two teenage girls. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the head and taken to the hospital, where she's in critical condition. A second girl, 17, was shot in the leg and transported to the hospital in stable condition.
The shooting came as Stonewall Inn, a gay bar and national historic landmark, was hosting an event from noon to 4 a.m. on Sunday to "celebrate where Pride began."
"Saddened to learn about the shooting by the Stonewall Inn tonight as Pride celebrations were winding down," New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrote in a statement on X. "During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating."
According to reports, authorities believe the shooting stemmed from some sort of dispute. An investigation into the incident remains ongoing as a motive remains unclear, and no arrests have been made.
The Stonewall Inn became the first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ+ history in 2016 under former President Barack Obama. It was the site of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, when bar patrons demonstrated against police routinely raiding the establishment.
An NYPD spokesperson said it's too early to know whether the shooting was hate crime-related.
In response to the incident, Christopher Street Project, an organization that advocates for trans rights, said in a statement, "Tonight, we are holding the victims of the shooting outside the Stonewall Inn and their families in our hearts.
"As we await more information, we emphasize what we know to be true: those spewing violent rhetoric against queer and trans people must be held accountable for the climate of hate they help create. We demand justice, safety, and dignity for all LGBTQ+ people, everywhere."
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