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Innocent bystander Samuel Poulin shot in Times Square in broad daylight

By Joe Marino, Larry Celona and Tina Moore

June 27, 2021 | 5:58pm | Updated June 28, 2021 | 8:47am

A tourist was struck by a stray bullet while walking with his family in Times Square late Sunday afternoon, police sources said — a block from where a 4-year-old girl and two others were struck by gunfire last month.

Samuel Poulin, 21, a Marine, was with his wife, sister and brother-in-law outside the Marriott Hotel on West 45th Street and Broadway when he was hit in the upper back by a ricocheting bullet just after 5:15 p.m., according to the sources and NYPD.

Surveillance image of the shooting suspect
Surveillance image of the Times Square shooting suspect.
Scene of a shooting near the Marriot Marquis Hotel in TImes Square
Scene of a shooting near the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square on June 27, 2021.
FNTV
Samuel Poulin is a US Marine, though it's not clear if he is still active or a member of the reserves.

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Samuel Poulin, 21, was with his wife, sister and brother-in-law outside the Marriott hotel.

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Samuel Poulin was visiting NYC from the upstate New York town of Northville for a Baptism.

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The violence erupted amid a dispute between two groups — possibly CD peddlers — with one man opening fire from a sidewalk, the sources said.

A dramatic surveillance photo obtained by The Post shows a gunman freely aiming a firearm in the bustling tourist hub.

A shooting scene in Times Square at 45th Street and 7th Avenue where a person was shot in the back
The violence erupted amid a dispute between two groups.
G.N.Miller/NYPost

The sources said a relative of the victim — who was visiting the Big Apple from upstate Northville for a baptism — pulled the slug out and gave it to police.

“We were sitting at Juniors when a loud pop happened and everybody ran for the hotel. They ran inside,” said a witness, Sydney Santana.

Scene of a shooting near the Marriot Marquis Hotel in TImes Square
Scene of a shooting near the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square.
FNTV
A shooting scene in Times Square at 45th Street and 7th Avenue where a person was shot in the back
A shooting scene in Times Square where a person was shot in the back.
G.N.Miller/NYPost

The witness said Poulin was alert and speaking with emergency workers before he was taken by EMS to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

“The police instantly marked off both sides of the street and they told us we couldn’t go anywhere,” said Santana, who is visiting from New Orleans.

An unidentified relative of the victim told The Post on Sunday night that he is doing “fine.”

“I’m going to the hospital right now to see him,” the woman said when reached by phone.

Poulin is a US Marine who recently graduated with honors from The Citadel — a military college in South Carolina.

A shooting scene in Times Square at 45th Street and 7th Avenue where a person was shot in the back
Cops were on the lookout for two men.
G.N.Miller/NYPost

Police recovered shell casings on West 45th Street outside the Minskoff Theatre, the sources added — one block from where shots rang out on May 8, leaving three people wounded.

Cops were on the lookout for two men believed to be responsible for Sunday’s shooting, which comes amid a surge in gunplay across the Big Apple.

The numbers of shootings and gun victims in the city have surged roughly 50 percent from a year ago, according to the NYPD.

shooting scene in Times Square at 45th Street and 7th Avenue where a person was shot in the back
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital.
G.N.Miller/NYPost

“The news of another shooting in Times Square, in broad daylight, is a chilling reminder of the rising threat of gun violence across our city,” mayoral hopeful Eric Adams said in a Sunday night statement.

“The spike in victims and incidents are not just statistics on a report; the trauma and bloodshed are real. We cannot have a real economic recovery from COVID-19 if our centers of business and tourism are perceived to be unsafe,” said Adams.

Additional reporting by David Meyer and Steven Vago

shooting scene in Times Square at 45th Street and 7th Avenue where a person was shot in the back
The 21-year-old man was walking with his family outside the Marriott hotel when he was hit by a bullet.
G.N.Miller/NYPost