Midtown Triple Shooting Started Over Drug Beef, Police Say

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Police have named a suspect in a Midtown shooting that left three people injured late Sunday afternoon, an NYPD spokesman said.

Makhtar Diouf, 30, is wanted in connection with the triple shooting, police said. Diouf is a suspected drug dealer and likely opened fire Sunday during an argument with a customer, police said.

"Someone wasn't happy with the product. They went back and forth," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said during a Wednesday press conference, as reported by the Daily News. "The male who was shot went to see the male who was the shooter."

Diouf began shooting just after 4:40 p.m. in front of a liquor store on West 31st Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, police said.

The three victims were identified as 25-year-old Abdoulaye Kane, 43-year old Ahmend Kabia and 29-year-old Adrian Burduja, an NYPD spokesman said. Police believe Kabia was the shooter's target. He suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder, police said.

Burduja, a Romanian tourist, and Kane were bystanders, police said. Burduja suffered a gunshot wound to his back and Kane suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm, police said.

The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

Diouf and a friend identified as 29-year-old Brian Johnson were seen running from the scene after the shooting and have not been found, police said. Diouf is described as standing 6-feet-tall and weighing about pounds with dreadlocks and Johnson is described as standing 6-foot-3 and weighing about 170 pounds with short black hair.

The NYPD released photos of the suspects:

Photo by Kathy Willens/Associated Press