Two people were shot after an argument between food vendors about space on the street near Yankee Stadium ended in gun violence. According to reports, 52-year-old vendor Horace Coleman allegedly fired three to six shots around 1:30 p.m. Thursday in front of the Crown Diner at the corner of 161st Street and Gerard Avenue. The two victims—60-year-old newspaper vendor Douglas Watkins and an unidentified 41-year-old—were both hit in the abdomen. They are both listed in stable condition now.
Investigators told CBS that Coleman owns a water stand in the concourse area, and witnesses said Coleman was seen arguing with Watkins over the spot before the shooting. "He turned around and shot the man in the newsstand, then he turned around and shot down the block, a couple of bullets," said witness Debbie Haughton. "I don’t know whether he hit somebody. They say he hit another person. Then he turned back, leaned over the man in the newsstand, and shot him again."
Local vendor Leroy McGrant told the Post the shooting was caused by a turf war gone haywire: “One guy wanted the spot, the other guy had it, and that was what the argument was about," he said. “It’s a simple argument that got out of hand. One guy just took it too far, and lots of people got hurt.” Coleman, who previously served three years at the Clinton Correctional Facility upstate for a drugs arrest, has been taken into custody. His mother told the Post, “He’s just working hard, trying to make an honest living. He’s been selling water every day for 10 years. He’s got a family to take care of.”
