A group of armed suspects burst into a barbershop in Squad member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district in New York City on Friday and opened fire on a man – sending workers and customers spilling out onto the street for cover, dramatic new video shows.
The suspects were initially stopped in their tracks by one of the barbers, a legal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, who confronted the trio and wrestled with one of the gunmen giving the fleeing man enough time to find safety in the back of the barbershop. The barber, a father of seven, is being hailed as a hero by local officials.
The shocking incident, which sources say was gang-related, took place on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, a busy commercial strip which has been plagued with open-air prostitution and other forms of crime for years with some residents there comparing the neighborhood to a Third World country.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, and the shooter opening fire, right. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, left, provided by Hiram Monserrate, right.)
Video from Friday shows a man standing inside Langumas El Cache Barbershop at 103-17 Roosevelt Ave. at around 5:45 p.m. when suddenly the suspects burst into the establishment.
The targeted man races to the rear of the barbershop for safety and the suspects are then seen being confronted by local barber Rafael Abreu, who forces them back to the front door.
But one of the suspects, who is armed, makes lunge for his target and pulls out a gun.
WATCH: New York City street lined with prostitutes soliciting sex
Abreu grabs the armed suspect and a tussle ensues before the perpetrator hands off his gun to one of the other suspects.
As the other workers and customers make a beeline for the door, the newly armed man dressed in a black hoody and black pants walks to the rear of the barbershop and fires at least one round.
The trio then flee the building and are still on the loose, police tell Fox News Digital. The man being targeted was not injured and no injuries were reported in relation to the incident. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, police say.
Hiram Monserrate, a former Democrat New York state senator and local Democrat district leader, says the shooting is just the latest incident in the crime-ridden neighborhood.
“This shooting… is a stark reminder of how dangerous Roosevelt Avenue has become. Our local barber turned hero Rafael Abreu deserves the key to the city for exceptional bravery and saving lives,” Monserrate said.
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Hiram Monserrate and the barbers after Saturday’s shooting (Provided by Hiram Monserrate)
“A real New Yorker who put his life on the line for a stranger. Look in real time at Rafael protecting the target of gun-toting gangsters and his fellow workers at the Roosevelt Avenue Barbershop where he works.”
Fox News Digital has reported extensively on the extent of crime gripping the neighborhood. The area has become known as a red-light district with scantily clad women soliciting sex on sidewalks while illegal vendors overrun the trash-filled streets. Overall crime in the 115th Precinct is up nearly 18% over the last two years, per NYPD data.
It has become so bad that last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched “Operation Restore Roosevelt,” which aims to crack down on crime through the end of the year and bring back law and order to the commercial strip. The operation consists of more than 200 extra NYPD officers and state troopers patrolling the area.
But Monserrate warns that even with a large presence of police officers, the Roosevelt Avenue corridor remains “under criminal siege with cartels and gangs operating.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district is rampant with illegal prostitutes lining the streets during all hours of the day and night, brazenly soliciting sex to passersby. (From L to R: Provided by Ramses Frias, Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images, Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, Sarah Stier/Getty Images for QBFC.)
“The battle to win back our streets continues. These criminal elements have guns. You can be on your way to the 7 Train or get a haircut and get caught in the crossfire,” Monserrate says.
“This is real. Had Rafael Abreu not stood up and put his life on the line there would have been at least one casualty and possibly more. He is a real hero all New Yorkers can be proud of.”
The barbershop is located in New York’s 14th District, which is represented by Ocasio-Cortez. Her office did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment with regard to the incident, or any crime stories covered pertaining to Roosevelt Avenue this year.
Monserrate says Ocasio-Cortez is not helping local efforts to tackle crime.
Prostitutes line a street in Queens (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
Ramon Ramirez-Baez, the founder of local safety group “Let’s Improve Roosevelt Avenue,” says the incident shows that the extra police presence needs to be made permanent.
“We understand that without safety we have nothing,” Ramirez-Baez said.
“We are clear that these police officers need to stay in place on Roosevelt Avenue beyond the 90 days. This young man is lucky he ran into Rafael Abreu workplace.”