5 injured after gun goes off in New York's famed Waldorf hotel

A woman was accidentally shot in the head and four others suffered injuries at a wedding at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Saturday after a man accidentally fired off his gun.

A 42-year-old male shooter fired into the floor of the lobby of the world famous hotel in New York City as wedding reception photos were being taken. A 55-year-old woman was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a bullet grazed her head.

In a briefing in front of the hotel, Manhattan’s chief of detectives, William Aubry, said four people were hit by shrapnel from the bullet or debris such as marble or glass.

The shooter was placed under arrest. He was not identified.

The gun was apparently in the man's pocket when it went off, a New York Police Department source was quoted as saying to the New York Daily News. 

“It’s looking accidental. There’s a hole in his pocket,” the source said, adding, “The woman hit was in no way the intended target.”

The Waldorf Astoria is one of New York’s best-known hotels. It is where the US president stays during the United Nations general assembly.

Image: Police cars are pictured parked at the main entrance to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel following a shooting in the lobby during a wedding. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters