Six People Shot During Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade

During the festivities in Brooklyn celebrating the West Indian American Day Parade, six individuals were injured in separate shootings as the event concluded. The parade, which stretches approximately two miles along Eastern Parkway, attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators and local officials.

The day began with the traditional J’Ouvert celebration at dawn, where participants covered in bright paint and powders danced and frolicked before the daytime parade started. The event kicked off at 11 a.m. on Utica Avenue near Lincoln Terrace Park, with a significant police presence aimed at maintaining order, including a deployment of 2,500 officers across the city.

Many attendees appreciated the increased security, with some noting it helped keep troublemakers at bay. However, despite these precautions, violence erupted later in the day. Around 5:35 p.m., gunfire along the parade route wounded a man in his 20s in the leg and grazed a woman in her 40s. Both were taken to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.

Later, at approximately 6:30 p.m., two more people—a woman aged 26 and a man aged 21—were shot on Eastern Parkway. The man was struck in the chest, and the woman in the shoulder. The shooter remains at large, with five shell casings recovered at the scene.

Additional shootings occurred near Nostrand Avenue, where a woman, 40, and a 53-year-old man were shot. The suspect was apprehended in that case. Despite the violence, many participants expressed pride in their culture and enjoyed the festivities, with some observing police officers dancing and celebrating along the route.

Political figures, including the mayor and mayoral candidates, also joined the celebration, engaging with revelers and showing support for the community. The event continues to be a significant cultural highlight, albeit marred occasionally by violence.