Man walked streets of NYC while firing machine gun into the air, police say

A man fired a machine gun into the air as he walked along streets in a commercial area and was shot by police after he would not drop the weapon, witnesses said. No other injuries were reported.

Photo: Man walked streets of NYC while firing machine gun into the air, police say

Man walked streets of NYC while firing machine gun into the air, police say

"It was just pow, pow, pow, pow, pow," said Vincent Ho, who was at a dentist's office and said he heard at least seven shots.

Shoppers and commuters on the busy strip in the Jamaica section of the borough of Queens scrambled for cover.

Police, who received several emergency calls, said they confronted the gunman around 5:45 p.m. (2245 GMT) in an area crowded with shops and medical offices. The gunman was shot in a parking lot behind a row of stores after an exchange of gunfire and was taken to a hospital, police said. His condition was not immediately disclosed, reports AP.

Three people who had been walking with the man were taken into custody, and the machine gun was recovered in the parking lot, police said.