Teen Shot and Buses Torched After Knicks Win
Monday, 2026/06/15237 words3 minutes1878 reads
The New York Knicks secured their first NBA championship in over half a century on Saturday, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in a decisive game five. While the victory sparked jubilant celebrations across New York City, the festivities descended into chaos and violence in parts of Manhattan during the early morning hours.
Despite Knicks owner James Dolan's plea for restraint during a post-game news conference, crowds became "increasingly destructive" according to the NYPD. A 17-year-old was shot in the foot near Times Square around 2:00 AM when gunfire erupted near 42nd Street and Broadway, sending people scrambling for cover. Five school buses that had been transporting World Cup fans were torched or destroyed, with crowds swarming the vehicles, climbing on roofs, and attacking them with bats.
The disorder extended beyond property damage. Police reported four slashings and stabbings, numerous brawls, and people lighting fireworks in densely packed crowds. Ten officers sustained injuries, including one who was punched in the face and another struck with a glass bottle. Officers on horseback and in riot gear were deployed to disperse crowds who threw street cones and bottles at police.
Sixty-three arrests were made on charges ranging from assault on a police officer to criminal possession of weapons and obstruction of governmental administration. The violence stood in stark contrast to the earlier celebratory atmosphere, where emergency workers had shouted team slogans through loudspeakers and strangers embraced in the streets.
