Eight people, including four children, were shot and wounded by a masked gunman during a Fourth of July family barbecue in Brooklyn's Coney Island, the New York Police Department (NYPD) reported. The suspect fled the scene on foot and remains at large.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated at a news conference that the victims included two men, two women, and four children, aged 6, 7, 12, and 14. Seven of the victims sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. However, a 21-year-old woman was shot in the chest and is in critical condition.
The shooting occurred around 10:37 p.m. on Saturday near the intersection of West 30th Street and Surf Avenue. According to Tisch, an unknown male dressed in black and wearing a ski mask approached the fence line of a residential courtyard where a barbecue was underway and fired multiple rounds into the group.
Investigators have found no initial indication that an argument or altercation preceded the shooting. A TEC-9-style firearm with an extended magazine and 10 shell casings were recovered at the scene. Detectives are exploring a potential connection between this shooting and a homicide that occurred earlier in the week on the same block.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the violence, stating, "There is no place for this kind of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it." He added, "As we mourn alongside those whose loved ones have been hurt, let us also recommit ourselves to the work of building a city where every celebration is safe and every holiday is joyful."
Despite the incident, NYPD crime statistics indicate a decrease in homicides and shooting incidents in New York City compared to the first six months of the previous year. Tisch noted that while gun violence data is historically low this year, the department acknowledges the need for continued efforts, particularly in light of such incidents involving children. "We are looking into whether there is a nexus between the two incidents," Tisch said.
