Gunman Who Shot Queens Building Super, Fired At Cops Indicted: DA

QUEENS, NY — A Queens man accused of shooting his building superintendent before firing his gun at cops in a tense standoff has been indicted, prosecutors said.

William Hernandez, 65, appeared in court Wednesday for arraignment on an 11-count indictment that included attempted murder and kidnapping charges, authorities said.

The charges stem from a wild few hours Nov. 22 in which authorities said Hernandez held a Woodside building superintendent hostage at gunpoint in an elevator, shot the super, turned his gun on an NYPD officer and finally barricaded himself inside an apartment.

"The defendant is charged with attempted murder in the first degree for allegedly trying to kill a police officer in addition to attempted murder in the second degree in the shooting of his building superintendent," said Melinda Katz, district attorney for Queens.

"This is not the Wild West."

The incident began when Hernandez confronted his 54th Street building's superintendent, 48, and pulled a handgun on him, prosecutors said.

Hernandez directed the superintendent into an elevator, where he held the man at gunpoint and continually threatened to shoot him for roughly 54 minutes, authorities said.

The superintendent managed to run off while Hernandez was distracted by people in the hallway, but Hernandez fired off several shots that struck the super in the shoulder, side and abdomen, officials said.

Two people who saw the wounded superintendent run outside called 911, which brought cops to the building, prosecutors said.

When officers arrived, they saw a man reach out from a sixth-floor window and fire a shot across the street, authorities said. Cops went up to the floor and saw Hernandez hiding behind a wall with a gun, prosecutors said.

"After Hernandez ignored repeated commands to drop the gun, an officer fired at him," a release from prosecutors states. "Hernandez fired back at the officer and the same officer returned fire. No one was hit."

Hernandez then barricaded himself in his sixth-floor apartment for more than two hours before cops heard a gunshot, prosecutors said.

Officers rushed inside and found Hernandez with a gunshot wound to his chest, for which he was taken to a local hospital, authorities said.

The superintendent received surgery for his own wounds, prosecutors said.

Hernandez faces up to 40 years in prison, if convicted. He's next due in court Jan. 17.