Mugger fires shot during attempted Midtown robbery near Rockefeller Center: cops

A brazen stickup suspect fired a gun in Midtown Monday evening, leaving one person injured in the ensuing struggle, police said.

An armed robbery occurred near West 48th Street and Rockefeller Plaza at around 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 6, Police Department sources confirmed, during which an unknown gunman accosted a 34-year-old man in the heart of the tourist hub. The thief attempted to snatch the man’s satchel, cops said, but the robbery didn’t quite go according to plan.

When the robber was unable to make off with the victim’s bag, authorities say he found himself in a jostling match with the victim, during which he clawed at the victim’s wristwatch. In the tussle, one gunshot was fired before the mugger was able to make off with the man’s Rolex watch.

The victim — who, police said, was not a tourist — suffered minor lacerations to his wrist as a result of the vicious snatching, but no one was harmed in the gunfire. Police cordoned off the busy street directly outside of a Starbucks where they recovered a shell casing.

Police cordoned off the scene where shots were fired during a robbery attempt near Rockefeller Center. #midtown #nyc #nypd pic.twitter.com/SQp6KjjKLF

— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) February 7, 2023

While no arrests have been made, NYPD sources say they are searching for a man with a dark complexion who was wearing a red jacket and blue jeans who fled on foot. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.