A woman and a man died after they were shot in separate incidents in the East Village on Thursday, police said.
The 25-year-old woman was shot in the head at the corner of East 14th Street and Irving Place around 5 a.m., the NYPD said. Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect, who fled on foot, was wearing black clothing and a mask when he shot her, according to police. The NYPD didn't immediately release the woman's name.
Hours later, around 1:30 p.m., a 26-year-old man was shot in the head at 728 East 13th Street, the NYPD said. He was pronounced dead at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, police said.
Police said the suspect in that incident is a man in his 20s who was wearing all black and a face mask. He fled on foot, according to police.
Investigations into both shootings are ongoing. The circumstances leading up to both shootings remain unclear.
At an unrelated news conference Thursday morning, Mayor Eric Adams suggested the woman who was killed early Thursday morning may have been the intended target of the shooter, though he stressed that police were still investigating the incident.
“It appears as though the young lady was an intended target,” Adams said. “We are unclear yet, but we’re going to continue. The investigation is still new. We don’t have much more than that at this time.”
In a statement provided to NY1 on Thursday, IHOP franchisee Ed Scannapieco confirmed that the 25-year-old woman worked at one of the restaurant chain's New York City-based franchises.
"We are deeply saddened of the passing of one of our IHOP Team Members. This was a senseless act of violence, and we have been working closely with local authorities," Scannapieco said. "This is a heartbreaking situation and our thoughts are with her family at this time."