Accused Upper West Side Barbershop Shooter Arrested In North Carolina

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A 17-year-old who shot at a 12-year-old in an Upper West Side barbershop has been arrested in North Carolina, police said.

Joshua J'Air Wilson was arrested Thursday in Johnston County, North Carolina, where he is a high-school student, police said. Wilson will be extradited to New York, police told Patch.

Wilson is accused of shooting at a 12-year-old in a barbershop on Columbus Avenue between West 105th and 106th streets on April 11, police said.

Wilson and the 12-year-old were engaged in a verbal argument outside the barbershop, police said. Wilson then fired at least one shot into the barbershop window when the the 12-year-old went inside, police said. (For more New York City news delivered straight to your inbox sign up for Patch's free newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Police believe the argument and shooting may be gang related, an NYPD spokesman told Patch.

The NYPD released surveillance video from outside the barbershop. The video shows Wilson walking up to the barbershop, looking through a window and then taking a few steps back into the middle of the sidewalk. He then produces a revolver from the front of his shorts, fires one shot in the direction of the barbershop, points the gun inside again and then runs off.

The owner of the barber shop and two customers were inside at the time of the shooting, ABC 7 reported.

"There were two young men in the store, one was getting a haircut, another young man entered and fired two shots. I don't know what happened, after when I saw the gun, I threw myself on the floor," the owner told ABC 7.

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Photo by NYPD