Residents Worried After Air Gun Attacks Blow Out Multiple Windows In Chelsea
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Glass and windows have been left shattered by recent air gun attacks in the middle of the day in upscale Chelsea.
As CBS2's Mark Morgan reported, several buildings were targeted along 23rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues.
"All of a sudden, I just heard, like, glass just shattering – 'Shing! Shing!' – and it was echoing across the street," said Terrence Harris of Chelsea.
Harris was lucky. He was standing very close to one of several buildings hit by air gun fire along 23rd Street.
Someone targeted shops and apartment building, firing pellets and BB's along the busy thoroughfare last week.
Roberto Perez is the superintendent of one of the buildings.
"They shot four or five times," Perez said as he pointed out where the damage had been on the front window next to the door of his building. "They had a hole here, a chip here, a chip here, and the bottom -- that was like four shots."
Perez said he had to replace the entire glass pane.
"We had to put plywood and cover it up, because it was ready to collapse," Perez said.
Perez told CBS2 he believes the shots came from the Chelsea Hotel across the street, which is currently under renovation.
The fact that one of the air gun shootings occurred not under the cover of darkness, but in broad daylight, has local residents concerned.
"I've been here over 21 years and I've never had this type of incident happen here, so it is disturbing because it is someone with some type of gun," said Arthur Massei of Chelsea.
"It's definitely surprising," added Michelle Graham of Chelsea. "We've lived on this block for 12 years, and nothing like that has ever happened before."
The shootings have some worried it could happen again.
"I'm kind of worried. I'm worried someone may shoot me in my face or my eye; it might hurt somebody with that stuff, you know?" Perez said. "It's dangerous."
Police said formal complaints for criminal mischief have been filed, and investigations are ongoing. As of late Friday, no arrests had been made.
