Two Men Shot Outside Harlem’s LGBTQ+ Lambda Lounge, Police Say
This shooting comes days after two teen girls were shot in the West Village on Sunday.
Two men were shot and wounded outside of the popular LGBTQ+ bar, Lambda Lounge, early Wednesday morning, police say.
Authorities report that shots were fired around 3 am outside the Harlem lounge on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. The two men, 39 and 51 years old, were both shot in the legs and rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. Both men are in stable condition.
Officials say the male suspect was wearing a mask and was described as being in his 20s or 30s. He was last seen wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. Police say he fled the scene in a black sedan heading south on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and West 132nd Street.
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According to Lambda Lounge’s Instagram page, the bar was scheduled to host its weekly game night on Tuesday night, which ended at 2 am. Early Wednesday morning, owners posted to Instagram, sharing that Lambda would be closed on Wednesday “in light of recent events.” Lambda is known as Harlem’s only Black-owned LGBTQ+ Lounge and hosts multiple events and parties throughout the week.
Authorities are investigating, and no arrests have been made. Police have not revealed any motive or labeled the shooting as a hate crime.
This comes days after two teen girls were shot in the West Village on Sunday, hours after the NYC Pride March passed through the area. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the head, and a 17-year-old was shot in the leg. On Tuesday, police revealed that the 16-year-old victim was actually the first to fire a gun when a fight broke out between two groups of young people. The girl allegedly pulled out a 9-millimeter gun and attempted to shoot a boy in the head, but missed, hitting the 17-year-old bystander in the leg. After the first shot rang out, police say the group of young people began to run away, while one boy started firing. One shot struck the 16-year-old girl in the head.
Police say the 17-year-old girl is from New Jersey and was in Manhattan to celebrate Pride. She was taken to a hospital and is expected to recover from her injuries. The 16-year-old girl suffered critical injuries and is currently in the hospital in police custody. Authorities are still searching for the second shooter.
