Metro

Giants’ Cruz, Canty shaken after Manhattan club shooting

Chris Canty is 6-7, 317 pounds, but the Giants defensive tackle was still visibly shaken Wednesday recalling a shooting early Tuesday morning at a popular Chelsea nightspot that left one man dead.

Canty and Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz were at the trendy Juliet Supper Club where at least four shots were fired at two men, one of whom died.

“It’s definitely scary to be around something like that,” said Canty, who didn’t witness the shooting but heard the gun shots and hit the floor. “It’s unfortunate that a tragedy took place. I hate that I was there at the venue. When something like that happens, it’s an ugly incident. My heart and prayers go out to those involved and those affected. It’s really unfortunate.”

Cruz was there celebrating his birthday with friends. Teammate Antrel Rolle stopped by early to acknowledge Cruz but was gone by the time of the shooting.

“It’s tough,” Cruz said. “You want to have friends come out for your birthday. But you never want it to be this way.”

Cruz grew up in Paterson, N.J. It wasn’t the first time he had heard gun shots.

“I hit the floor and everybody was in a melee trying to get out of there,” he said. “I just kind of waited. I didn’t want to get trampled, so I just waited about five minutes and we made our way out of there.”

At least four shots were fired early Tuesday from a 9mm handgun at the trendy Juliet Supperclub, steps from the High Line Park, at about 2:20 a.m., striking two men who cops said were the intended targets. One of them died.

A woman, described by the sources as an innocent victim, suffered a graze wound.

Actor Ryan Phillippe and R&B singer Estelle were at the club. Contrary to published reports wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and cornerback Aaron Ross said they were not there.

Brandon Albert and Jarrad Paige from the Chiefs and NBA stars John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Chris Duhon and Bronx native Kemba Walker were at the club as well.

None of the athletes witnessed the shooting, a spokesman for the nightclub said.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he only heard about Cruz being at the bar “and thank God he was safe.”

“I would speak to him as a parent would speak to their son,” Coughlin said at practice Wednesday. “What happens good at 2:30, 3 in the morning? I’ve never been able to figure that one out. Beyond that is between he and I.”

Coughlin said there was no violation of team rules.

“The only curfews enforced are during training camp and on nights before games. It’s his night,” Coughlin said.

As for the other players who were at the club, Coughlin said, “I will talk to those guys, too.”

Cruz acknowledged that incidents such as Monday night’s can happen in those kinds of environments, but vowed to keep his focus on the team’s schedule.

“It was about understanding things like that can happen past midnight and there’s not always good people that are in the same area and you have to be careful,” Cruz said of Coughlin’s comments to the team. “We have to focus on our seven-game stretch coming up and just focus on that.”

The Giants play the Eagles Sunday night at MetLife Stadium in an NFC East showdown. Tuesday’s shooting brought back memories of 2008 when then Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress carried a gun into a Manhattan night club and accidentally shot himself in the leg, ending his season.

“Obviously the stereotype is going to be there,” Cruz said of Burress, who now plays for the Jets after spending 20 months in prison.

“Giants player in a club and there’s a shooting. But I knew I did nothing wrong. I knew I was there trying to have a good time with friends and that was it. I wasn’t doing anything negative. I wasn’t trying to be a guy that’s starting trouble anything like that. Foremost I was just trying to make sure I was safe and the people I was with were safe and then try to make it out of there.”

Some 300 clubbers were partying when the shots were fired.

The dead man was identified as Artis Arthur, 43, of Brooklyn, who was shot in the torso, police said.

Wounded were Tracy Ryals, 28, of The Bronx, and Jonai Washington, 28, of Long Island, the woman who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The shooting may have been set off when the gunman got into an argument with the two men involving “bumping” a woman, a police source said.

With Paul Schwartz