BROOKLYN — A man was shot in the leg near a Park Slope middle school about the time students headed to class Thursday morning, officials said.
The 40-year-old man, whose identity was not immediately released, was with another unidentified man who then shot him by the intersection of Sterling Place and Sixth Avenue, near Park Place Community Middle School, about 8:30 a.m., an NYPD spokesman said.
He was taken to Kings County Hospital and his injury did not appear to be life threatening, an FDNY spokesman said.
The suspect fled the scene and was not immediately arrested, police said.
Phoebe Smith, a 27-year-old mother of two who lives on the block, said police raced to the scene after the shooting.
"I heard a pop and a yell — just like an 'Aah!' It was loud," Smith said.
"It's shocking, especially at a time all the kids are going to school. A kid could get hit with a stray bullet," she added.
Detectives were canvassing the area, looking for surveillance video footage and other witnesses.
"I'm surprised. There are a lot of families and famous people here. There's small crime but nothing major ever happens here," said 65-year-old retired painter, Julio Cruz.
Shootings in the area are rare. There were in the 78 precinct which covers the neighborhood, according to NYPD statistics.
"Hopefully they catch this guy. If you shoot somebody, you gotta go to jail," he added.
