Police say no danger to public after 3 women shot outside restaurant in Central Nyack

CENTRAL NYACK — Three women suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds early Saturday in the parking lot outside a Route 59 restaurant, including one female taken to the hospital with a stomach wound, Clarkstown police said.

Police are investigating the shootings before 3 a.m. outside CY's Restaurant and Lounge . The business is located at 37 Route 59 in the Knolls Shopping Center.

Police said the Central Nyack shootings were not random

When officers arrived at the strip mall at about 3:05 a.m., they found a woman lying on the ground in front of the restaurant with gunshot wounds to her leg and abdomen, Clarkstown Detective Norman Peters said in a news release. Emergency medical technicians provided aid before transporting her to the nearby Montefiore Nyack Hospital.

Two other women with leg wounds drove themselves to the hospital, Peters said. The medical assessment was that "although serious, none of the injuries are life-threatening at this time," he said.

The restaurant provided police with security video. The preliminary investigation described the shooter as a male with dreadlocks and wearing a black mask, Peters said.

While the motive for the shooting is under investigation, Peters said the shootings do not appear to be random. The public is not considered to be in any immediate danger, he said.

One of the owners of Cy's, Maxwell Occena, said the restaurant was the venue for a party attended by 25 to 30 people. The party ended after 2 a.m. and people left as he and his staff cleaned up.

"Unfortunately, at about 2:45, 3 a.m., the incident happened in the parking lot," Occena said.

After the gunshots, Occena said they called the police. He said he saw a young lady on the ground bleeding from what he thought was her left leg, and they attempted to help her until the police and Nyack Ambulance Corps crew arrived.

"We looked her over and I didn't see any other wounds," Occena said. "She was coherent. She seemed OK, otherwise."

He said he didn't see the two other women who were shot. Peters said those women drove themselves to the hospital before police and the ambulance arrived.

"We provided police and detectives with our security footage and all the knowledge we had," Occena said.

Occena said the Jamaican and Haitian eatery is a legacy to a younger brother who died two years ago at age 19. The young man played football at St. Joe's and was headed to college.

"We're a hard-working family," Occena said. "Something terrible happened outside our establishment. Nevertheless, I am happy no one was seriously hurt."

Anyone with information regarding the shootings can inform the Clarkstown Police Department Detective Bureau at 845-639-5840.

Anonymous tips can be submitted by using the Rockland County DA Tip 411 line by texting 847411 (tip 411), entering the keyword 'ROCKLANDCODA,' followed by a space, and the information, and then pressing send. People can download the RocklandCo DA app for iPhone and Android to submit anonymous tips from a smartphone or tablet.

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Police say no danger to public after 3 women shot outside restaurant in Central Nyack