A 20-year-old gunman who terrorised residents of an Upper East Side apartment building, robbed a local deli, and attempted to force his way into a hospital while threatening a “shoot-up” was shot and killed by New York Police Department officers after he opened fire on them.
The series of events on the evening of 13 November, which authorities are investigating as a potential “suicide by cop,” ended with the suspect’s death on Madison Avenue.
The incident began at around 7 p.m. when the man, who had no prior criminal record, threatened riders in an elevator at 1590 Madison Avenue with a handgun. He then proceeded to a nearby deli, where he committed a robbery, before moving towards the Mount Sinai hospital, entering and exiting without incident.
Throughout, he was reportedly making threats of violence. The situation culminated when he encountered responding officers and discharged his weapon, leading police to return fire. He was pronounced dead at the hospital he had earlier threatened.
NYPD Chief Rivera stated, “The individual posed a direct and imminent threat to the public and our officers. The response was swift and decisive.”
The episode is part of a disturbing 10 per cent increase in random gun threats and violence across New York City in 2025, reminiscent of several subway incidents in 2024. It has ignited a dual conversation about urban safety and the city’s capacity to handle acute mental health crises.
While the police response is being reviewed through bodycam footage, community leaders have expressed being “deeply shocked” and are demanding more robust mental health resources.
The suspect’s family, meanwhile, is left grappling with their loss and questioning whether the outcome was inevitable. The incident is likely to fuel ongoing policy debates around “suicide by cop” protocols and could influence the allocation of a proposed £160 million fund for public safety and mental health co-response teams.
Written by Were Kelly
Sources: Patch (patch.com), NY Daily News (nydailynews.com).
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