Man shot on Upper West Side; suspect seen carrying gun, fleeing on subway

NEW YORK CITY - A man was shot in the shoulder and leg on Thursday morning on the Upper West Side, police said.

It happened after 9 a.m. on West 69th Street and Columbus Avenue.

Police said the suspect fled into the subway and caused major disruptions in both directions.

The gunman led police on a wild chase through the Upper West Side and into the 72nd Street subway station. Officers with canine units tried to track him down. Firefighters even cut the power to the tracks, but he still managed to escape through a subway hatch.

Police also searched Central Park. 

FOX 5 NY's Duarte Geraldino spoke with several witnesses who saw and heard the gunshot.

"The moment I pulled around the corner driving onto 68th, all I saw was this guy with a gun pointing at another guy crawling on the ground, begging for his life," witness Ryan Hernandez said.

Surveillance video showed people running for their lives as the shooter opened fire. 

FOX 5 NY's Duarte Geraldino spoke with the owner of the SUV moments after the shooting.

 "I have two bullet holes in my car. He shot maybe five, six, seven times," Alberto Perez said. 

Perez found two bullets lodged in his car. He said he heard the men arguing before gunfire erupted.

"When the guy started shooting, I wanted to stop here and take video and pictures to send to the police," Perez said.

Police said the 47-year-old man is in stable condition. Sources told FOX 5 that the victim owned the basement computer repair shop on 68th Street. They say the shooter was an employee the victim recently fired. 

Perez said he heard the men arguing just before the shooting started.

"Only they talk... 'Give me my money! Give me my money!'" Perez said.

A man was shot on the Upper West Side in broad daylight, and the suspect was seen carrying a gun before fleeing on the subway. Police are searching the A, B, C and D trains. (Credit: Robert Moses)

The suspect fled in transit, police said. FOX 5 NY's Duarte Geraldino said we still don't know how the suspect got out of the subway through a hatch. 

It's still not clear how many shots were fired, but officers found a lot of shell casings at the scene along with a trail of blood and shattered glass from a nearby bus stop.

Witnesses have confirmed that the shooter was last seen wearing a white hat, green jacket, and a blue hoodie.

This story is developing. Stay with FOX 5 for updates.