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A 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head around 10:15 p.m., an NYPD spokesperson told The Advocate.
Police said it is too early to know if the shooting after NYC Pride was a hate crime.
Two teenage girls were shot blocks from the historic Stonewall Inn on Sunday night just as New York City Pride was coming to a close, according to police.
A 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head around 10:15 p.m., an NYPD spokesperson told The Advocate, and a 17-year-old is stable after being shot in the leg. The older girl was first shot by someone in the crowd, after which she allegedly fired her own gun at the attacker and missed, hitting the younger girl.
The incident appears to be the result of a dispute, but law enforcement emphasized that it is too early to know if the incident was hate crime-related. The spokesperson said: "There are no arrests at this time. The investigation remains active and ongoing."
Mayor Eric Adams reacted to the incident in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying that he is "saddened to learn about the shooting by the Stonewall Inn tonight as Pride celebrations were winding down."
"During a time when our city should be rejoicing and celebrating members of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, incidents like this are devastating," Adams wrote. "We’re praying for the speedy recovery of the victims in tonight’s shooting. The NYPD will work quickly and tirelessly to bring the suspects to justice."
The shooting happened blocks from Stonewall.
Initial media reports reported that the shooting happened in front of the establishment. The venue took to Instagram to clarify.
"Contrary to some media reports, the June 29 shooting during NYC Pride did not occur at or in front of The Stonewall Inn. The incident happened several blocks away and was not connected to The Stonewall Inn," it said. "We remain heartbroken for those impacted by this act of violence. As a symbol of resistance and community safety, The Stonewall Inn remains committed to truth, healing, and the right to gather in peace. Gun violence has no place in our neighborhoods, our celebrations, or our future. Facts matter."
The Stonewall Inn was the site of the 1969 Stonewall Riots — protests in response to police raids of gay bars — which are widely credited as sparking the modern-day LGBTQ+ rights movement. The landmark in Greenwich Village was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama in June 2016, becoming the first National Park Service site to acknowledge the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
NPS removed the "T" from the "LGBTQ+" acronym as well as any references to transgender people from the monument website in February following Donald Trump's executive orders denying the existence of trans people and removing them from other government websites, along with LGBTQ+ resources.
Local trans advocacy group the Christopher Street Project said in a statement that "we are holding the victims of the shooting outside the Stonewall Inn and their families in our hearts," while emphasizing the role anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment can play in interpersonal disputes.
"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," it wrote. "We demand justice, safety, and dignity for all LGBTQ+ people, everywhere."
This story has been updated with additional details.
