Teen girl killed, 2 wounded in Bronx shooting

Police say three teenage children walking home from school Friday were shot, one fatally, when a gunman started firing during a street corner dispute in the Bronx.

The shooting was the latest episode of headline-grabbing violence in New York City amid a rise in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. The girl killed in the gunfire was 16 years old, police said.

Another 16-year-old girl was hit in the leg. A 17-year-old boy was wounded in the buttocks. Both are expected to survive. Police said many details were still under investigation, but that the gunfire appeared to start after two people were gesturing at each other across an intersection.

The children who were shot were walking by on the sidewalk. Mayor Eric Adams has made fighting crime a priority since taking office Jan. 1. Homicides are down slightly from this time last year, but gun violence overall remains at levels not seen in a decade.