Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Gunshot Near Upper West Side School Rattles Parents

A shooting a block from P.S. 199 on West 70th Street on April 3, 2012, rattled parents.
A shooting a block from P.S. 199 on West 70th Street on April 3, 2012, rattled parents.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Leslie Albrecht

UPPER WEST SIDE — A shooting in broad daylight near an Upper West Side school Tuesday afternoon has left parents in the neighborhood rattled and forced police to beef up patrols in the area.

One shot was fired into the air at the bustling intersection of West 71st Street and Amsterdam Avenue about 3 p.m. Tuesday, just as nearby P.S. 199 on West 70th Street was letting students out for the day, a police source said.

No one was injured in the incident, and details regarding what sparked the gunfire remain unclear.

But police have arrested 18-year-old Donwin Baldwin, of West 139th Street, for allegedly firing the gun, which cops described as a .25-caliber firearm.

Baldwin has been charged with criminal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, menacing and resisting arrest, police said.

One shot was fired into the air at West 71st Street and Amsterdam Avenue on April 3, 2012.
One shot was fired into the air at West 71st Street and Amsterdam Avenue on April 3, 2012.
View Full Caption
Glock, gun, bullet

The daytime violence, rare in a neighborhood where crime is limited mostly to property thefts, spooked parents, said P.S. 199 dad Eric Shuffler.

In response, school officials sent out an email blast to parents, and the Schools Unite Network sent out an alert about the incident, along with safety tips.

The 20th Precinct will now post officers near the school at dismissal time in the coming weeks, a police source said.

Shuffler said parents welcome the increased police presence.

"We hope it's something that will continue into the future and not just go away when news of this incident fades," Shuffler said in an email.

"There's an elementary school a block away, and a lot of children pass through that intersection after school lets out," Shuffler added. "So it's a corner that deserves some extra attention."