Man Shot In The Leg On Busy Astoria Street

ASTORIA— A 42-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his left leg early Saturday in Astoria, and police are searching for a gunman who fled in a white sport utility vehicle.

The shooting happened about 6:36 a.m. on Steinway Street near 31st Avenue, according to police.

Officers found the wounded man bleeding near a bench and rushed him to Elmhurst Hospital in a police cruiser.

He was expected to survive, police reported.

Witnesses saw a white SUV leave the scene after the gunfire.

Neighbors told investigators the shooting may have stemmed from activity at a nearby party venue, though police have not disclosed a motive, reported NY Daily News.

The shooting comes as New York City reports a decline in gun violence.

Police recorded 508 shooting incidents across the five boroughs through Oct. 11, down from 572 during the same period last year, according to the latest available New York Police Department statistics.