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Persons Of Interest Sought In Lower Manhattan Shooting That Left 2 Hurt

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are trying to identify two persons of interest who they say are wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting in Lower Manhattan that left two people hurt.

The gunfire erupted following a dispute between two men around 3:10 p.m. Monday on Washington Street near Battery Park, according to police.

Fred Han was leaving his job at the deli on the corner of Battery and Washington streets when he saw the argument.

"I don't know what they were arguing about but I believe that they were ticket sellers," he told CBS2's Magdalena Doris. "I saw them a couple times out here."

Moments later, Han said he heard two gunshots.

"Pop, pop," he said.

At an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said it appears there was a dispute across the street at Battery Park about an hour prior to the shooting "between some individuals who were selling tickets to some of the ferry boats."

"That argument started again across the street in front of 2 Washington Street, where one male engaged another male in a fist fight, it appears," Boyce said. "Now that male then shot the individual one time in the side."

That victim, a 40-year-old man, suffered a gunshot wound to the torso. Police said he was a passenger later stopped by officers in a speeding car traveling over the Brooklyn Bridge.

A second victim, a 34-year-old woman who works nearby, was also shot in the knee by a stray bullet. She was taken to the New York Downtown Hospital in stable condition.

"She was coming from her lunch break and she got hurt," the victim's co-worker, Felix Okema said. "Somebody were fighting and she just got hurt."

Police said both victims are expected to be OK.

So far, no arrests have been made. The gun was never recovered.

Police are now looking for two persons of interest who were seen on surveillance video. Boyce said they may have been involved in the dispute.

Lower Manhattan Shooting Persons Of Interest
Surveillance images of two persons of interest who police say are wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting in Lower Manhattan that left two people hurt on April 24, 2017. (credit: NYPD)

The first person is described as a black man between the ages of 30 and 40 with a heavy build. He was wearing a black hat, black jacket, a red plaid shirt, jeans and black shoes.

The second person is described as a black man, also between the ages of 30 and 40 and bald. He was wearing a blue sweat shirt, jeans and multi-colored sneakers and was carrying a tan back pack.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

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