2 teens in custody after shootout in East Harlem, NYPD investigating officer’s gunfire

Authorities said an NYPD officer opened fire Monday evening during a shootout between two groups of teenagers in East Harlem, and two 15-year-olds were wounded during the incident — though police said they were investigating how exactly they were struck.

According to Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera, two uniformed officers were coming out of NYCHA’s Wagner Houses near East 123rd Street and Second Avenue around 5:30 p.m. when they heard shots and saw a teen firing a gun. One of the officers shot at the teen and both officers chased after him, Rivera said at a press conference following the incident.

Rivera said police caught up to the teen near East 123rd Street and took two teens into custody there: a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old who were allegedly involved in the shootout. Surveillance video recovered at the scene showed them firing guns, according to the chief.

The 15-year-old was shot in his left leg and taken to Harlem Hospital in stable condition, NYPD officials said. Police did not immediately identify him.

Rivera identified the 18-year-old as Damien Calhoun and said officers found a gun in his bag loaded with a high-capacity magazine capable of shooting 31 rounds. He was not injured in the shooting, according to police, and an attorney for him could not immediately be reached for comment.

Another 15-year-old was taken to Harlem Hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his left knee, Rivera said, adding that police were still looking into whether the teens were struck by NYPD gunfire. Police were also investigating how many people were involved in the initial dispute and shootout, Rivera said.

NYPD data through Sept. 14 shows shootings were down 44% in the 25th Precinct, which includes East Harlem, compared to the same point last year. Local organizations and law enforcement officials have been closely coordinating over the past several years to reduce gun violence in the neighborhood after a surge during the pandemic, Gothamist has reported.

Citywide, shootings have fallen about 20% since last year, according to police data.

This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and has been updated with additional details.

To learn more about gun violence patterns across New York City, check out Gothamist’s map of shooting incidents over the past five years.