Surveillance footage captures the moment TWO people are shot dead within minutes of one another in New York as officials fear a rise in violent crime with 20 per cent of NYPD officers out sick due to coronavirus

New York City was rocked by two fatal shootings that have left three people dead and another in a critical condition over the weekend.

The shootings occurred within minutes of each other on Saturday evening, sparking fears of an uptick in violence amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Surveillance footage obtained by DailyMail.com shows both shootings.

Shortly before 8pm, video taken from surveillance video shows about eight people gathered outside a bodega at East 112th Street and First Avenue in East Harlem. 

A gunman in a dark jacket suddenly appears from out of nowhere, steps up and opens fire. 

One man who was hit is seen falling to the pavement. The gunman then chases another man across the street and shoots him as well. 

Several other people scatter, including one person who ducks back into the bodega and slams the door shut.

Upon arrival, officers discovered three men at the location with multiple gunshot wounds. Two died and one was in critical condition.

Minutes later in Crown Heights, a man wearing a red hoodie, jeans and white sneakers could be seen walking up behind 31-year-old Paul Hoilett of Brooklyn on Buffalo Avenue, and shooting him in the back of the head. 

Hoilett, wearing a black jacket and jeans, collapses to the sidewalk, as the shooter then jumps into a white Jeep Renegade SUV that pulls up beside him.

He hops into the passengers seat before they speed off. Hoilett was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County where he was pronounced dead. 

The city has been crippled by the coronavirus outbreak, with its police force severely affected. On Friday, more than 7,000 uniformed NYPD officers - nearly 20 per cent of the force - were off sick. 

Saturday's first fatal shooting occurred shortly before 8pm in Harlem  - where nearly a third of officers have called out sick in recent weeks. 

'Honestly, we have enough to worry about with COVID-19. We don't need this right now,' a shocked witness to the Harlem shooting told The New York Post. 

A nearby deli owner told the publication: 'I didn't go outside. I was too scared. It's crazy, man. People should be helping each other.'

The gunman fled from the scene on foot and is still at large.  

Meanwhile, just minutes later, a separate fatal shooting occurred in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood. 

The victim, a 31-year-old man, was fatally shot in the head. He was rushed to hospital, but pronounced dead on arrival.  

On Friday evening, another fatal shooting occurred, when a 23-year-old man was shot dead outside his apartment complex in East Harlem. 

However, despite the fears of local residents, major crimes cases - which include murder and felony assault - have dropped 33 percent since lockdown measures were put in place on March 22, according to a MarketWatch report. 

However, in poorer neighborhoods, lesser crimes are actually on the rise.

In southeast Queens, there has been a 50 percent increase in burglaries and car thefts over the past two weeks. Meanwhile, in East and Central Harlem, burglaries are up 18 percent. 

New York City is the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, with more than 98,000 confirmed cases. Over 6,800 city residents have died from the virus.