Four killed in Manhattan shootout

A gunman rampaged through a strip of restaurants and bars in a trendy Manhattan neighbourhood, killing a pizzeria employee and two unarmed volunteer police officers before other officers shot him dead.

Gunman David Gavin had a fake beard, two guns and 100 rounds of ammunition, said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“Tonight was a horrible night for the New York Police Department and for our city,” he said.

“Two men who volunteered their time to make our city the safest big city in America lost their lives helping to keep it exactly that way.”

The shooting began around 9pm local time yesterday (1am today Irish time), the mayor said.

Gavin, 32, went into a Greenwich Village pizzeria, asked for a menu and then shot an employee 15 times in the back before fleeing, Mr Bloomberg said.

Police identified the employee as Alfredo Romaro, 35. Nicholas Todd Pekearo and Eugene Marshalik, two of the city’s nearly 4,500 volunteer police officers, responded to the shooting and approached Gavin, who crossed the street and fired at them.

Volunteer officers are civilians who wear uniforms, are unarmed and help patrol streets.

Gavin then exchanged gunfire with regular officers, the mayor said. Several uniformed officers suffered minor injuries.