Horrific shooting video shows exactly why crime is issue No. 1 for NYC voters

This is what life in New York City looks like now: A masked gunman brazenly opening fire on a man, in broad daylight, in front of children, in The Bronx.

Footage shows the 24-year-old target of the gunman trying to run away from the shooter only to collide with a young brother and sister out to buy candy from a bodega. Nothing could be more innocent. It’s utterly terrifying, especially watching the two frantic kids caught in the middle.

The shooting occurred just before 7 p.m. Thursday, police said, on Sheridan Avenue near Mt. Eden Parkway. The gunman fired at the man at least 12 times, hitting him three times — once in each leg and once in the back.

Miraculously, the man survived, and the children were unharmed. It’s all the more miraculous because the victim, at one point, apparently crawled on the ground, trying to protect himself while still entangled with the youngsters.

These kind of shock explosions of violence on our streets is the No. 1 issue among voters polled by The Post; in the survey, nearly 30 percent of New Yorkers ranked “crime/safety” as “the most important issue” facing the city.

That’s why who becomes our next mayor is so important. It’s vital that person be Eric Adams — a 22-year police officer who will strengthen the NYPD over his opponent, Maya Wiley, who derides and insults the force.

Adams has a clear plan to clean up our city’s streets. It’s much needed. People are scared. We can’t have a city where people are afraid to walk around in their own neighborhoods.

More important: No one wants to live in a city where children are caught in the crosshairs of a would-be assassination.

That’s not the kind of New York anyone deserves.