New York

Gunfire Erupts at MetroTech Plaza in Heart of Downtown Brooklyn

Photos from the scene showed what looked like a shell casing underneath an upside-down plastic Starbucks cup

What to Know

  • Shots erupted in downtown Brooklyn, in the MetroTech complex, Wednesday after an argument between two groups of young men
  • One of the group members pulled out a gun and two to three shots were fired, law enforcement sources said. No arrests have been made
  • MetroTech is home to offices for companies and foundations ranging from JP Morgan Chase to National Grid, Slate Media and the Nets

Gunfire erupted in Brooklyn's busy MetroTech Plaza after two groups of young men got into an argument and one opened fire on the street Wednesday, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell News 4.

No one was hurt when bullets started flying near Jay Street and Myrtle Avenue around 11:15 a.m. Details on the nature of the dispute weren't immediately available, but the law enforcement sources said it started with a war of words. That quickly escalated, the sources said, and someone pulled a gun.

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Two to three shots were fired, the sources said. Photos from the scene showed what looked like a shell casing underneath an upside-down plastic Starbucks cup. No arrests have been made, and it's not clear how many people police may be looking to question in connection with the shooting.


An office worker who was inside MetroTech, a sprawling complex in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, at the time told News 4 everyone was held in place as authorities investigated a possible report of an "active shooter."

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"It was just 'shelter in' there was a shooting," Natalie Jones said. "Nobody could leave or come in." 

Jacqueline McIntosh added, "They just told us there was an active shooting situation, and stay where we are at. We couldn't take the elevators or leave the buildings." 

MetroTech is home to offices for companies and foundations ranging from JP Morgan Chase to National Grid, Slate Media, the Brooklyn Nets and the Ms. Foundation for Women. In the center of the complex is a 3.5-acre privately owned public space often used for concerts and other large events.

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