Police: Homeless Man Accidentally Shoots Self At Zabar's On Upper West Side
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A homeless man accidentally shot himself while standing in line at Zabar's on the Upper West Side Tuesday morning.
CBS2's Ilana Gold reported the incident happened in Zabar's cafe at around 9 a.m. when a pistol in his waistband went off.
Police sources identified the shooter as 28-year-old Louis Anderson. They said Anderson, who was staying at Wards Island men's shelter, was standing in line to buy a coffee and bagel when the gun on his waistband accidentally went off.
A bullet struck Anderson in the leg and he instantly dropped his food and left the store. No one else was hurt.
"I would never want my children to be in here when someone is armed like that," customer Cecily Denny said.
Police said Anderson ran west and left a trail of blood by Calhoun School on his way to Riverside Park, where he allegedly dumped the gun that authorities found a few hours later.
Police said Anderson made his way to Mount Sinai West Hospital to get treated for the gunshot wound. Officers found him at the hospital and took him into custody.
Anderson has nine prior arrests. He told authorities he found the gun on the street.
The owner of Zabar's said he was alarmed at what happened.
"This is the first time it's happened in my experience," Saul Zabar said. "We've never had an incident like this. I really don't know what was in this man's mind."
The incident is a shock for shoppers there, CBS2's Gold reported.
"I never thought I'd see a crime scene at Zabar's, ever," one woman told Gold. "Seems to me there's a lot of questions. What was he doing with a gun in Zabar's?"
Anderson is still being treated at the hospital and criminal charges are pending.
