Police Identify 'Person Of Interest' In Deadly Midtown Manhattan Shooting
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police have identified a "person of interest" wanted in connection with a deadly shooting in Midtown Manhattan.
A gunman in a hoodie shot and killed a 43-year-old man and wounded two other men just after 6 a.m. Monday at the entrance to the 34th Street-Penn Station A, C and E subway stop, at West 35th Street and Eighth Avenue, police said.
Police said the shooting appeared to be drug-related, and started with a quarrel between the victims and the gunman inside the McDonald's at 490 Eighth Ave., just to the south of the subway entrance.
Police have released a picture of a man wanted for questioning in the shooting. The man, who is being called a "person of interest," is identified as 27-year-old Vincent Arcona, whose last known address is Medford, N.Y.
The McDonald's at the center of the investigation was a known trouble spot.
The eatery was the subject of a lengthy New York Times article back in July. The article by Kim Barker described scenes of people drinking and taking drugs in the open, and an ambulance coming to take away a regular who was stabbed in a nearby doorway – leaving blood on the sidewalk.
Locals call the Eighth Avenue store the "zombie McDonald's" or even the "junkie McDonald's," the Times report said.
So far this year, police said they have arrested 52 people at the Eighth Avenue McDonald's.
Late Monday, elected officials issued a letter to Linda Dunham, the owner of the Eighth Avenue McDonald's franchise.
"The establishment right now is not operating in a way that keeps people safe," Councilman Corey Johnson told 1010 WINS. "We want to ensure that acts of violence are not able to occur at this location."
The letter said officials recognize that Dunham has taken steps to improve security, but they have proved insufficient.
"If there's explicit criminal activity that's going on...we want to ensure that the owner is taking all steps possible in working with law enforcement to make her establishment a better place," Johnson said.
Dunham was invited to discuss the issue with the officials' offices, and representatives from the NYPD Midtown South Precinct and Manhattan Community Board 5.
Dunham released a statement Tuesday saying, "The safety of my employees and customers remains my top priority. In the face of recent neighborhood concerns, I have taken all necessary steps within my control- hiring additional security within the restaurant, meeting with local law enforcement to discuss our concerns, and scheduling an urgent meeting with my local Council Member. As an involved local business owner, I will continue to work with the NYPD and community leaders to ensure the safety of our customers. Since this is now an active police investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further."
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, visit the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.
