A gunman armed with a high-powered rifle opened fire outside a New York City high school just after a graduation ceremony at Manhattan's Hunter College. The shooter, identified as 27-year-old Dakota D. Tunstall from Las Vegas, has been arrested and is now in police custody.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tormey stated that surveillance footage showed Tunstall arriving in a Dodge Ram with Texas plates, walking to the front of the school, and opening fire just before 4 PM. The shooting occurred at 94th Street and Park Avenue between the Assembly School and P.S. 527, both located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. One of the two injured victims notified an NYPD officer stationed at the ceremony. The shooter is also believed to have targeted a third person, who managed to escape. Police are now investigating the shooting as a potential case of gang violence and are searching for a second suspect who fled the scene.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke about the shooting, emphasizing the importance of addressing gun violence. He said, "Our children deserve to graduate in peace, not fear." Law enforcement recovered an AR-15-style rifle and multiple magazines at the scene. Both injured victims—ages 18 and 20—were taken to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and are currently in stable condition.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby buildings and streets. No charges have been filed yet, and the identities of the victims are being withheld pending family notification.
