Five people were shot at New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade, police said. It’s the latest instance of violence marring one of the world’s largest annual celebrations of Caribbean culture.
A gunman targeting a specific group of people opened fire along the parade route in Brooklyn on Monday about 2.35pm (US Eastern Time), New York Police Department Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
The parade had kicked off hours earlier, with thousands of revellers dancing and marching down Eastern Parkway, a main thoroughfare through the borough. It was expected to continue into the night.
READ MORE: Crews scramble to restore power to 40,000 homes after wild weather
Two people were critically wounded, Chell said. The three other victims are expected to survive their injuries, he said. The gunman fled.
“This was not random,” Chell said. “This was an intentional act by one person towards a group of people. We do not by no means have any active shooter or anything of that nature running around Eastern Parkway as we speak. The parade is going on and will go on until later on tonight.”
An Associated Press videographer who was nearby when the shots rang out saw at least two people being treated next for what appeared to be wounds to the face and arm.
Police cordoned off an area adjacent to the parade route, where they had placed crime scene markers. The parade continued flowing past as officers were seen bagging items.
Chell asked that bystanders provide police with any video footage they may have recorded of the shooting.
READ MORE: ‘Very grim’ survey shows Aussies run out of money before payday
“We need that video,” Chell said.
“We are going to solve this, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”
Some people attending the parade were shaken by the violence.
“I’m crying over this, it’s so terrible. How can someone have the heart to fire a gun around so many people — babies, children, the elderly,” Jalissa Bailey told the New York Post newspaper.
The parade, an annual Labor Day event in its 57th year, turns Eastern Parkway into a kaleidoscope of feather-covered costumes and colourful flags as participants make their way down the thoroughfare alongside floats stacked high with speakers playing soca and reggae music.
Watch every moment, every medal of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
links to content on ABC
9News
