Five people were shot Monday at New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade, police said. It was the latest incident of violence to mar one of the world’s largest annual celebrations of Caribbean culture.
It was the latest incident of violence to mar 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 around 2:35 p.m., NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
The parade had kicked off hours earlier, with thousands of revelers dancing and marching down Eastern Parkway, a main thoroughfare through the borough. It was expected to continue into the night.
Two people were critically wounded, Chell said. The three other victims were expected to survive their injuries, he said. The gunman fled.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was marching in the parade at the time and completed the route. A message was left with Schumer’s office.
Police cordoned off an area adjacent to the parade route, where they 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.
The parade, an annual Labor Day event in its 57th year, turns Eastern Parkway into a kaleidoscope of feather-covered costumes and colorful flags as participants make their way down the thoroughfare alongside floats stacked high with speakers playing soca and reggae music.
