By Joe Anuta
Three men were killed in a hail of gunfire in Springfield Gardens early Saturday morning, police said.
Just after 5 a.m., cops received word of shots fired at 185-4 144th Ave., and when officers arrived, they found two men dead in the front seats of a Jeep Cherokee peppered with bullet holes, according to the NYPD. Another man, also pronounced dead at the scene, was lying on 144th Avenue near the vehicle, which was double parked across the street from Springfield Gardens HS.
Neighbors heard dozens of gunshots that were fired in rapid succession, and later Saturday morning police had placed evidence markers next to shell casings scattered on the street.
“It looked like a piggy bank busted open,” said one bystander who saw the shells.
Friends and family of the victims waited down the street for hours in the beating sun, hoping to get confirmation of the deceased from police.
It was rumored that the shooting stemmed from an argument at a Brooklyn night club, and that a fourth person was in an area hospital after he was shot but not killed, although police could not confirm this.
The owner of the Brooklyn nightclub was not aware of any altercations that happened Friday night.
As of Saturday afternoon, police had not made any arrests and the investigation was ongoing.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
