Who is Emanuel Charles? 21-year-old gunman arrested in shooting of Times Square food vendor
As Times Square tries to return to business as usual, the food vendor shootout details how quickly violence can erupt even in city’s most heavily policed areas.
Emanuel Charles, a 21-year-old man from New York, is now at the center of a chaotic early morning shooting that sent a Times Square food vendor to the hospital and rattled one of the busiest intersections in the city.
The New York Police Department confirmed Charles was arrested Wednesday following an altercation that erupted just before 5 a.m. near Seventh Avenue and West 47th Street — a crossroads that typically sees tens of thousands of visitors each day. But on this particular morning, the scene turned violent when a scuffle broke out between a group of young men and another individual wielding a knife.
NYPD later reported that Charles and four others were caught on video in a tense physical confrontation with the man, which escalated quickly. Moments later, multiple gunshots rang out — and when the smoke cleared, a 29-year-old food vendor had been struck in the arm. Emergency responders rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was treated and listed in stable condition.
NYPD investigators probe role in Midtown brawl
Investigators are still trying to find if the vendor was the target of the brawl, if he was a player in it, or if he was just caught in the crossfire of sorts.
Charles is charged with attempted murder, first and second degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass. But Charles insisted he was reacting to a threat.
“The guy pulled a knife on me,” he said as police led him, handcuffed, from the Midtown North precinct to a waiting squad car, per the New York Post. When asked about the shooting, Charles added simply, “self-defense.”
Police have not publicly identified the man with the knife, nor clarified what sparked the initial dispute, though it reportedly began over a backpack. The incident appears to involve at least five people, including Charles — four of whom are now in custody and may also face charges, authorities said.
