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Shots fired in New Rochelle early Tuesday afternoonBuy Photo

New Rochelle police cruiser in front of the New Rochelle Day Nursery Sept. 16, 2015, the day after a shooting near the center. An officer stopped by the day care center brieflyt.(Photo: Matt Spillane/The Journal News)Buy Photo

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NEW ROCHELLE — Parents dropped off their children as usual at a day care center Wednesday morning the day after an SUV shooting nearby left two men hospitalized, including the victim and a man who ran from police after officers identified him as a possible suspect, officials said.

At New Rochelle Day Nursery on Clinton Avenue Wednesday morning, Adriana Rocha, dropping off her child, reflected the views of other parents when she said she was surprised at the outburst of violence in that neighborhood. She said she had never heard of anything like that in the area.

None of the parents expressed any concerns about taking their children to the center.

A police cruiser pulled up at the center as parents dropped off their children. The officer went inside briefly, then drove off.

Tuesday's incident began as two dark sports utility vehicles pulled up on one another in front of in the day care center in a residential neighborhood around 12:40 p.m., police said. A passenger pulled out a gun and began shooting at the other vehicle, New Rochelle Capt. Joseph Schaller said.

"Both vehicles take off and a short time later, an individual appears at Mount Vernon Hospital with bullet holes to the left shoulder and left arm," he said.

The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.

New Rochelle police then put out a hotline message about the shooting, Kieran O'Leary, a spokesman for the Westchester County police, said in an email.

A short time later at 12:53 p.m., Sgt. Steven Stromberg of the Westchester County police caught sight of a black BMW SUV traveling south on the Saw Mill River Parkway that fit the description of one of the vehicles involved in the shooting, O'Leary said. Stromberg followed the SUV off the parkway and attempted to pull it over, but the BMW instead continued to drive on to McLean Avenue and Coyle Place, O'Leary said.

On Coyle Place, a passenger carrying a backpack jumped out of the SUV and fled on foot as the BMW drove off, O'Leary said.

Stromberg chased after the passenger onto a private property off of Coyle Place, O'Leary said. At gunpoint, Stromberg was able to detain and arrest the passenger, O'Leary said. A revolver was found in the passenger's backpack, O'Leary said.

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A parent drops off her child at the New Rochelle Day Nursery on Sept. 16, 2015, the day after a shooting near the center. (Photo: Matt Spillane/The Journal News)

The passenger, whom O'Leary did not name, suffered a leg injury in the chase, O'Leary said. The passenger is currently at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla and will ultimately be charged with criminal possession of a weapon by county police, O'Leary said.

Police are still investigating the possible connection between the passenger who ran and the SUV shooter, officials said.

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