Metro

Guard wounded in shooting near NYC school was trying to break up fight: sources

By
Joe Marino and
Amanda Woods
Published Feb. 9, 2023
Updated Feb. 9, 2023, 6:34 p.m. ET

The security guard wounded in a shooting — that also injured two teens — outside a Brooklyn high school was trying to break up a fight when he was grazed by a bullet in the neck, police sources said Thursday.

The 37-year-old private security guard — who is employed by Williamsburg Charter High School — told investigators that he was making his rounds during Wednesday afternoon dismissal when he spotted a large fight at the corner of Varet and White streets, the sources said. 

He stepped in — and even held back someone involved in the melee — when he heard gunfire and realized that he had been struck by a stray round, according to the sources. 

Harrowing footage from the scene — taken by a student and provided to Fox 5 reporter Linda Schmidt — shows a group of kids throwing punches in the street before at least four shots ring out. 

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On the sidewalk, a group of youngsters, including the person filming, start running back to the school, screaming and yelling, “Oh my God!”

The shooting is part of a disturbing spate of gun violence outside Big Apple schools.

Just two days earlier, a 17-year-old girl was shot in the stomach and a 19-year-old man was grazed in the head after a masked gunman took aim at them a block away from their Williamsburg high school campus.

And a few weeks ago, a 13-year-old boy was charged with opening fire on two teenage students outside Campus Magnet HS in Cambria Heights, Queens.

The 37-year-old guard said he stepped in to break up the fight when he was grazed by a stray bullet. Gregory P. Mango

The violence on Wednesday left the security guard with a graze wound to the neck. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition.

Also shot were a 15-year-old girl struck in the right leg and a 17-year-old boy blasted in the left thigh, apparently by stray rounds, cops and police sources said. 

The 15-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy also appear to be innocent bystanders, police sources said. Gregory P. Mango

Both students told the cops that they were walking to the subway when they encountered the large fight and heard four gunshots, the sources said. 

They ran back to the school, where they realized they’d been hit, according to the sources. 

They were both taken to Bellevue Hospital, also in stable condition. 

The bullets flew just past the school’s 2 p.m. dismissal time, cops said. 

One of the males involved in the melee whipped out a 2-by-4 stick — prompting the shooter to let off at least four rounds, cops said. Gregory P. Mango

About 15 males were involved in the brawl, and one of them whipped out a 2-by-4 stick — which is when the shooter opened fire, NYPD spokesperson Lt. Paul Ng said in a press briefing at the scene Wednesday. 

The suspect, who was described as wearing black Adidas pants, a white and gray hooded jacket and a brown bubble jacket, took off. 

The 2-by-4 stick was left behind, but the firearm was not recovered, cops said.

The suspect was still on the loose Thursday afternoon. Gregory P. Mango

No arrests had been made by Thursday afternoon. 

In December, NYPD data reviewed by The Post revealed that a growing number of teens are getting shot in the Big Apple — and that other youngsters are the ones pulling the trigger in the majority of the cases.

Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts

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