#3 shot, 1 critically, within 15 minutes in separate NYC shootings

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Police on the scene where a man was shot in the face on East 80th Street in Canarsie today.
Paul Martinka

Three people were shot, one critically, within 15 minutes in separate incidents Saturday afternoon in Manhattan and Brooklyn, police said.

The gunplay began at 4:08 p.m. in Brooklyn when a man was shot in the back after a “possible dispute” in front of 1096 Ocean Ave. The victim, 26, was taken to Kings County Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Just eight minutes later, this time in East Harlem, a 29-year-old man was also shot once in the back in front of 421 East 102nd St. He was taken to Cornell Hospital, where he was expected to survive his injuries, police said. There was no motive for the shooting.

Just five minutes later, at 4:21 p.m., a man was shot in the face on East 80th Street in Canarsie, police said. The victim, 28, was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he was battling for his life, authorities said.

By 6 p.m. Saturday, the NYPD had recorded “roughly 15 shootings” for the day, a department spokeswoman said, noting, “And we still have a few hours left.”

The latest spate of shootings comes on the same day when four people — including a city correction officer — were killed and at least 11 were shot overnight.