NYPD officer fired gun during Columbia confrontation, Manhattan DA says

Plus: The Five Boro Bike Tour returns this weekend [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Manhattan DA says officer fired gun during Columbia University confrontation]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Partly cloudy and cooler, with highs in the mid 60s. It's Friday in New York City, where an NYPD officer attempting to remove protesters from a Columbia University building this week was using the flashlight on his gun and "accidentally" fired a single round into a wall. The gunshot — which was first reported by THE CITY and then [confirmed by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office and the NYPD]( — would seem to belie Mayor Eric Adams' insistence that the police carried out a well-executed, "professional" operation. Here's what else is happening: - Mayor Adams yesterday remained adamant that "outside agitators" were to blame for inciting pro-Palestinian campus protests — estimating that 60% of those arrested were students — but [still didn't provide exact numbers](. - The number of homeless New Yorkers moving into city public housing under the Adams administration has dropped to the lowest number in a decade, even as the volume of empty NYCHA apartments continues to rise, [a Gothamist analysis shows](. - A court ruling has [nixed the so-called county line]( from ballots in this year’s New Jersey Democratic primary races — but in much of Essex County, candidates endorsed by the party machine are still getting coveted top slots on the ballot. - Black migrants in New York City are more likely than their Latin American counterparts to receive an eviction notice from a city shelter, go without food or lack warm clothing, [according to a new report](. - Thousands of cyclists are gearing up for the annual Five Boro Bike Tour on Sunday. Here's what to know about the ride — and [the citywide street closures](. - It's [nearly impossible]( to find a three-bedroom apartment for rent in this city (unless you're willing to pay $25,000 a month). - Two ice skating coaches who were fired from Chelsea Piers said their termination came [in response to efforts to unionize](. - The city's first pet-friendly homeless shelter has [opened in the Bronx](. - The Old Croton Aqueduct in the Bronx is now the borough's first [official scenic landmark]( a designation that puts it in league with Coney Island's boardwalk and Central Park. - PS 331 in Dyker Heights is now Detective Wenjian Liu School of Civics and Entrepreneurship, named for the NYPD officer murdered in his squad car in 2014. This makes PS 331 the city's [first public school named after an Asian American](. - "For the last six years, I’ve eaten pizza every single day. Sometimes it might just be a slice, but most days I will get through a whole one": Connecticut's own Kenny Wildes [told The Guardian his story](. - Big ears [are in](. - Gucci [is out](. - 👟 Do you run in New York City — and have advice for those looking to start? [Gothamist wants to hear from you for a story]( [“Why are we continuing to pay for expensive shelter when there are empty units sitting here?”]( - Alison Wilkey, director of government affairs for the Coalition for the Homeless, on [THE DROP IN HOMELESS NEW YORKERS MOVING INTO NYCHA APARTMENTS]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Be the ball: Do you have what it takes to work with Mr. and Mrs. Met?]( The New York Mets are asking for applicants to step up to the plate and work closely with the beloved MLB mascots, who are widely known for mingling with fans and boogying atop the team’s dugout. [WNYC will cohost New Jersey Senate Democratic primary debate on May 13]( Candidates Patricia Campos-Medina, Larry Hamm and Rep. Andy Kim will participate in the debate moderated by WNYC's Michael Hill. The event begins at 6 p.m., with video livestreamed at wnyc.org. [We Rely On Your Support]( [How Savant Studios built a beloved New York City ‘it’ brand]( Savant, which is based in Bedford-Stuyvesant and operated by five employees, designed merchandise for the Brooklyn Museum in December and is scheduled to release a Visa-sponsored collection that athletes from dozens of countries will wear for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. [Manhattan officials call on DOT to close Sixth Avenue bike lane gap]( The bike lane currently runs from Franklin Street to Canal Street and then disappears before starting again on West 8th Street, where it continues through West 59th Street. Elected officials want the gap filled in. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.