The gunman ran south on Eighth Avenue after the morning dispute, police said.
NEW YORK, NY — Police were searching Thursday for a man accused of fatally shooting a man inside a Midtown Manhattan 7-Eleven after an apparent dispute near West 39th Street. The victim, believed to be in his 40s, was shot in the neck late Thursday morning and died at the scene, authorities said.
The killing jolted one of the city’s busiest corridors, just blocks from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and the crowds that move through Midtown each day. Investigators said they recovered ballistic evidence and were reviewing surveillance video as they tried to identify and locate the suspect. The victim had not been publicly identified by Thursday afternoon, and no arrests were announced.
The shooting happened at about 10:25 a.m. on Feb. 12 inside the convenience store at the corner of Eighth Avenue and West 39th Street, police said. The address is 589 Eighth Ave., an area lined with hotels, offices and commuter traffic. Investigators said the victim and the suspect appeared to be arguing as they entered the store, and the confrontation continued inside. At some point, the suspect pulled out a gun and fired, striking the victim once in the neck, police said. Emergency medical workers responded within minutes, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the suspect fled on foot immediately after the shooting.
Descriptions of the suspect released by authorities and law enforcement officials focused on dark clothing and a green outer layer. Police said the man was last seen wearing a dark green jacket or green puffer-style coat, along with dark pants. Investigators said he also wore a black face mask and carried a black backpack. Witnesses and officials said the suspect ran southbound along Eighth Avenue after leaving the store. Detectives said they had “good images” from store surveillance footage and were using them to track the suspect’s path through the neighborhood.
Outside the 7-Eleven, investigators sealed off part of the sidewalk as officers and crime scene personnel moved in and out of the store. A heavy police presence drew onlookers and slowed foot traffic along the avenue. A woman who works at a nearby food cart said she saw people run out of the store around the time shots were fired. Another witness, who asked not to be identified, described stepping into the store and hearing a heated exchange. The witness said he heard insults and then a gunshot, prompting him to turn and run as others followed him out of the doorway.
Police sources and people familiar with the early investigation said the two men involved were not employees. Officials did not release a motive, and it was not clear what set off the argument. Investigators also had not said whether the men knew each other or if the dispute began inside the store or earlier on the street. Authorities said a camera canvass was underway, with detectives checking storefront and building cameras in the surrounding blocks to build a clearer timeline of where the suspect went after leaving Eighth Avenue.
As investigators pieced together the victim’s identity, people in the area described a man they said was often seen near the store. Police sources said the victim was known to regularly hold the door open for customers, and others described him as a panhandler familiar to workers and residents in the neighborhood. Officials cautioned that the victim’s name and background would be confirmed only after family notification and further review, but the descriptions suggested he was a recognizable presence in the immediate area. The victim’s age was estimated to be in his 40s, and authorities said he had not yet been publicly identified by Thursday evening.
The killing added to concerns about street crime and disorder that some workers say they have seen around the block. Thomas Lane, who said he works as a concierge nearby, said he was not shocked by the violence given what he described as worsening conditions in recent years. Lane said he has arrived at work to find human waste near building entrances and people urinating in public. “I’m not surprised at all,” Lane said, describing a range of behavior he said he has witnessed near the storefronts along the avenue. He said he heard sirens and looked out to see police activity but did not immediately know what had happened.
Investigators focused Thursday on tracking the suspect’s route and confirming details from witnesses, surveillance footage and physical evidence. Police said ballistic evidence was recovered, though they did not specify whether a firearm had been found. Detectives were expected to continue interviewing store employees and customers who were inside at the time, along with people who were outside on the sidewalk. Authorities said the suspect’s clothing and backpack could help narrow the search, especially if he was captured on cameras moving through transit hubs or busier corners nearby.
Police did not announce any charges, in part because the suspect remained at large. The investigation was being handled by detectives from the Midtown South area, with help from other units conducting video review and neighborhood canvassing. Officials said they were working to identify the suspect and determine whether he had ties to the area. Authorities asked anyone with information about the shooting or the suspect’s location to contact investigators or provide tips through the city’s anonymous reporting channels. Police said the investigation was ongoing and that more details could be released as detectives confirmed the timeline and notified the victim’s family.
By late Thursday, the scene had shifted from an active emergency response to a steady evidence-gathering operation. Officers kept pedestrians back as investigators photographed the storefront and worked inside the convenience store. The location, near major transit and tourist traffic, meant the incident unfolded in public view, and detectives appeared to be leaning heavily on camera footage from the store and nearby businesses. Officials said they believed the dispute and shooting happened quickly, leaving little time for intervention before the suspect ran.
Police said Thursday evening that the suspect had not been arrested and the victim’s name had not been released. Investigators planned to continue reviewing surveillance video and following leads overnight, with the next major milestone expected to be the public identification of the victim after family notification and further investigative updates from police.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.