NEW YORK — What should have been a long-awaited night of glory for the New York Knicks turned into a war zone in the heart of Manhattan early Sunday as rowdy fans celebrating the team's first NBA title in 53 years unleashed pandemonium in Times Square.
Gunshots erupted around 2 a.m. near 42nd Street and Broadway, sending thousands of revelers scrambling for cover in scenes captured on shaky video that quickly went viral. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the foot in the chaos, cops said. NYPD officers had to ferry the teen to Bellevue Hospital themselves after ambulances couldn't cut through the frenzied crowds.
Bystander footage showed panicked masses ducking and bolting as at least seven shots cracked through the air under the bright lights of the iconic billboards. "Shots fired!" overlays screamed in social media clips as people sprinted past the H&M store and into the night.
The violence capped a night of escalating disorder after the Knicks clinched the championship with a Game 5 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs. Fans flooded Midtown from Madison Square Garden to Times Square, but the party quickly spiraled.
Rowdy crowds swarmed and torched a World Cup shuttle bus, ripping hoods off others and setting at least one ablaze. Multiple people were stabbed, vehicles were damaged, and at least 10 NYPD officers were injured. Police made at least 63 arrests as they tried to restore order.
In a city with some of the nation's strictest gun laws, where "gun-free zones" signs plaster public spaces, the irony wasn't lost on observers. One viral image mocked a prominent Times Square "This is a Gun Free Zone" sign as the gunfire unfolded just steps away.
Knicks brass and city officials had hoped for a historic celebration befitting the end of a half-century drought. Jalen Brunson emerged as Finals MVP after heroic performances. Instead, the euphoria gave way to scenes that looked more like a riot than a victory lap.
Police recovered a gun and took three persons of interest into custody in connection with the shooting.
As dawn broke over a trashed Times Square, New Yorkers woke up to the sobering reality: Even in triumph, the city's streets can turn deadly in an instant.
