New York Gun Attack: Man Shot In Back Of Head

A man has been fatally shot in the back of the head while walking outside a school near New York's Central Park.

The killer sped off in a getaway car as the victim, Brandon Lincoln Woodard, 31, lay in a pool of blood with a single gunshot wound, police said.

Mr Woodard, from Los Angeles, had been walking close to a busy tourist area when the gunman approached him from behind and fired what looked like a silver semi-automatic pistol.

The shooting happened on Monday afternoon outside the Saint Thomas Choir School, a boarding school for young boys on 58th Street, a quiet street between Broadway and 7th Avenue.

The shooter was wearing a dark coat with a dark hood and khakis, and escaped in a light grey or silver Lincoln sedan. Police do not believe the incident is linked to the school.

No pupils witnessed the shooting because they were rehearsing at a church at the time, said school receptionist Allie Roma.

"We didn't hear the gunshots, but we saw the flashing lights," Ms Roma said.

Jose Villafane, who works nearby, said he heard what sounded like a car backfiring before seeing Mr Woodard on the ground with blood on his face.