A 16-year-old girl was shot in the head, leaving her clinging to life, after she and her friends got into an argument with another group in a Queens park, police said Thursday.
After the fight in the Locust Manor Playground broke up, the victim got into a nearby Hyundai SUV parked in front of adjacent Public School 15 – Jackie Robinson School in St. Albans about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, cops said.
A gunman opened fire, shooting the girl in the head on Lucas St. near 121st Ave.
Jillian McKoy, 38, who lives nearby, was looking for her car key when the gunfire erupted.
“I heard about 5 to 10 shots, like really close, like pop, pop, pop, pop, just back to back to back,” she said.
“Children running out of the park screaming, ‘Oh my God, why did they do that, they’re shooting, why did they do that to her.’ I thought it was fireworks. Once they came running I realized it was a shooting.”
Police officers rushed to the scene. ”Next thing you know, in two minutes, every cop from 113th Precinct came in every direction,” McKoy said. ”The whole park cleared.”
McKoy said roughly 40 kids fled the park. “They were all just hauling a–,” she said.
Medics rushed the victim to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition.
The gunman and several people with him ran off and have not been caught.
A 50-year-old neighbor who gave his name as Paul B said he was watching the Knicks game when the shooting started. ”It was the middle of the second quarter and shots just rang out,” he said. ”Sounded like five shots.”