Man shot after fights break out at Washington Square Park

A man was shot near Washington Square Park hours after the park was closed due to multiple fights, according to police.

The victim, a 20-year-old man, is recovering and in stable condition after he was shot in the buttocks and right hand, the New York Police Department told USA TODAY.

He was shot hours after fights broke out at Washington Square Park, the public park in the Greenwich Village of Lower Manhattan, New York City. According to local outlets and social media reports , people were gathering in the park for Pride celebrations, but NYPD said there was no Pride event happening when the fights occurred.

The NYPD shut down the park at 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the police department told USA TODAY. The shooting occurred at around 2 a.m. early Monday morning. It is not confirmed if the shooting was related to the fights.

In total, 22 people were arrested during the event, NYPD said.

Fighting breaks out at Washington Square Park

Videos of the fights are circulating online.

In them, multiple fights happen in the middle of a large crowd. Some people are holding Pride flags and wearing Pride gear.

"This is really crazy, Pride is not supposed to be like this," a witness told ABC7 . "We're supposed to come out and enjoy and you know just love one another and come together. And we hope moving forward there will be no more violence and craziness going on."

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter , Instagram and TikTok : @juliamariegz

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man shot after fights break out at Washington Square Park