Posted on: December 23, 2024, 02:38h. 

Last updated on: December 23, 2024, 02:38h.

New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers continue to search for the bandits who wounded two men on Thursday night at a likely illegal gaming joint in a Queens, N.Y. neighborhood

The gunfire erupted in a Haight Street building in the Flushing section after what sources described as a botched holdup.

One of the injured victims was a 37-year-old man who was shot in the head. He was transported to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital. He was listed in critical condition as of Friday, according to the New York Daily News.

The second victim, a 42-year-old man, also was wounded by gunfire. He too was taken to the same hospital for treatment. He was shot in the cheek, according to the Daily News. His condition wasn’t released.

The NYPD was alerted about the shootings at about 9:20 p.m. on Thursday.

Three Suspects at Large

Suspects wanted for questioning were described as three men, possibly Hispanic, according to the Daily News. They drove away in a white SUV, possibly with a woman in the same vehicle.

The SUV may have had damage in the front end, police said. The shooters have yet to be apprehended as of Monday, according to New York TV station WPIX.

NYPD officers also were searching for surveillance video over the weekend which may lead to the suspects’ identities, according to the Daily News. Officers on Friday were spotted searching the crime scene for evidence. They had cordoned off an area near the shootings.

Underground Gambling Rooms

There are a few underground gambling … rooms around this block,” a local business owner revealed to the Daily News after the shootings.

“I think this happens a lot. It’s just only this time people were shot,” the cabinet maker said. “This place is crazy right now.”

“When I saw [the cops] locking down the street, I just told my co-worker this morning, ‘I’m planning to move out,’” the cabinet maker added. “I even texted my landlords, ‘I probably will move out in two months,’ because this street right here is dangerous.”

Rarely, does violence break out in the gambling dens. But when it does, residents are frightened, nearby residents told the Daily News.

“It really makes people terrified,” one worker told the newspaper.