Horrific moment gunman shoots dead a teenager, 17, at point-blank range as he tries to crawl away during Bronx gunfight

Grisly video captured the moment an unknown gunman shot dead a 17-year-old boy who attempted to flee during a gun battle. 

The New York Police Department on Sunday released surveillance footage of the shooting that killed Kether Werts on Thursday.  

The incident happened just before 5pm outside 1705 Hoe Avenue in the Crotona neighborhood of the Bronx.

Footage shows two men wearing black hoodies and white face masks engaging with a group of teenagers across the street. 

It's unclear what is said, but one of the teenagers crosses the street to approach the men.

Then, the group of teenagers begin to desperately flee the area at the apparent start of gunfire. 

A few of the boys manage to escape, but Werts appears to get caught in between two vehicles as one gunman follows him.  The teenager trips to the ground and attempts to crawl away. 

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Surveillance footage released by the New York Police Department shows a shooting that took place in the Bronx on Thursday

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Two men, wearing black hoodies and white face masks (right), were seen talking to a group of teenagers when shots were fired 

The gunman stands over Werts, aims his gun and shoots the teenager at point blank range.

Additional footage shows a man, thought by authorities to be an accomplice, walking down Southern Boulevard shortly after the shooting. The man is dressed in a black hoodie, white face mask and sneakers. 

Meanwhile, Werts was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital and pronounced dead.

He sustained gunshot wounds to his head and feet, New York Post reports.

Authorities has asked that anyone with information about the shooting to contact NYPD Crime Stopper at 800-577-TIPS.

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One gunman shot dead Kether Werts (pictured) as he attempted to crawl away after tripping 

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Additional footage shared by the NYPD appeared to show an accomplice in the shooting on Thursday 

New York City experienced a concerning uptick in gun violence this summer that may continue into fall.

According to the NYPD CompStat, there have been 52 shooting victims this year across all five boroughs as of September 6.  

There's been a 134 per cent increase compared to the same time last year, which amassed to 22 shooting victims.

In regards to shooting incidents, there have been 51 such episodes, compared to 19 recorded last year. That'a a 168.4 per cent increase.

At least 15 Bronx residents have become gun violence victims in 2020 after only four in 2019.       

This comes after a number of shootings incidents and related deaths happened in the Big Apple over Labor Day Weekend.

At least 10 people were shot, including a 62-year-old Bronx resident who was killed while walking his dogs outside his home. Another instance saw a six-year-old boy, his mother and three others struck at a pre-dawn Caribbean J'Ouvert celebration.

All five of those victims were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.