The gunman who fired into a barber shop on the Upper West Side Tuesday was aiming for a 12-year-old boy, authorities say.
No one was hit by the bullets that flew into the store near Columbus Avenue and West 105th Street in the middle of the afternoon.
There was some initial confusion over the age of the boy who was targeted; police now say there were two boys in the barber shop, ages 12 and 14. The gunman had been aiming at the 12-year-old boy.
Police say the boys had walked into the shop, and the 14 year old was in a chair getting a haircut. The 12 year old was seated in the waiting area.
The gunman entered the shop and allegedly said to the 12-year-old boy, "Are you from Douglass?," referring to the Frederick Douglass public housing complex nearby.
When the boy said yes, the man stepped outside the shop and fired two shots into the barber shop in the boys' direction, according to police. No one was hit, and the 12-year-old boy chased the man outside the shop.
A person wearing a black shirt and black pants was seen fleeing the scene, according to police, who were still searching for the suspect just before 6 p.m.
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Video shows the man taking a gun out of his waistband just before aiming it into the barber shop. It's not clear why police believe he was targeting the child.
