Battery Park Shooter Indicted On Attempted Murder Charges, Prosecutors Say

BATTERY PARK, NY — The man who opened fire near Battery Park last month, injuring two people, has been indicted on attempted murder charges, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Jason Wright, a ticket vendor for one of the many ferry cruises that leaves from Battery Park, was arguing with another ticket seller when he fired his gun twice, according to prosecutors. The April 24 shooting injured Wright's fellow ticket seller as well as an innocent bystander who was standing nearby. Wright, 37, has been indicted on multiple charges, including two counts of attempted murder. The dispute happened on Washington Street near Battery Place.

Wright was arrested in Brooklyn about two days after the shooting, according to authorities. Prosecutors said he was seen on surveillance footage "showing off" the gun to other people in the hours after the shooting.

The daytime shooting was a rare incident of gun violence in lower Manhattan, which has seen few gun crimes in recent years. The violence was attributed by community leaders as part of a broader tradition of aggressiveness among the ticket vendors in the Battery Park area. For years, tourists and locals alike have complained that the vendors often scam tourists or act aggressively toward them in pursuit of a sale.

Patch was not immediately able to contact Wright's defense attorney for comment.

You can read Patch's previous coverage of this case here:

• Battery Park Shooting: 2 People Shot In Rare Lower Manhattan Gun Violence
• Battery Park Shooting Suspect Arrested By NYPD
• Battery Park Shooting Is Just Latest In Plague Of Ticket Vendor Aggression, Leaders Say

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Lead image via Ciara McCarthy/Patch.