A pedestrian was shot in the back with a Gel Blaster pellet gun during the Monday morning rush in the heart of Midtown — one of three similar incidents in the city overnight, cops say.
The 47-year-old victim told cops he was walking south on Fifth Avenue near 35th Street in Manhattan about 8:15 a.m. when he felt something hit his back, cops said.
The man confronted three bike-riding suspects nearby, and a fight ensued, cops said.
The suspects ended up punching and kicking the victim, then hopping on their bikes and fleeing north on Fifth Avenue, according to police.
The motive for the attack was unclear.
It occurred about 45 minutes after two suspects shot a 62-year-old man with a Gel Blaster gun near the corner of Clinton and Stanton streets on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, according to police and sources.
The duo fled north on Clinton Street after the shooting, cops said. The victim refused medical attention.
The reason behind that attack also was murky.
The third incident happened Monday night when a 51-year-old, on-duty fare collection worker from the MTA was shot in the back and elbow with a BB gun in The Bronx as he was checking his vehicle’s tires on Valentine Avenue, cops said.
The 11 p.m. attack left the man with slight injuries — and a shattered driver’s side window, courtesy of a metal BB that missed its mark.
Cops said the shooting seemed unprovoked, and the victim had no idea where the rounds came from.
Police haven’t said if the incidents appear to be related.
