A man in a black ski mask walked up to a family barbecue in Brooklyn's Coney Island late on the Fourth of July and opened fire, wounding eight people, four of them children. The youngest victim, a 6-year-old boy, was shot in the stomach.
Officers responded at approximately 10:35 p.m. to the 2900 block of West 31st Street, according to the New York Police Department. A 21-year-old woman was shot in the chest and remained in critical condition. The other seven victims were listed in stable condition.
The four children ranged in age from 6 to 14. A 7-year-old boy was shot in both legs. A 12-year-old boy was shot in the leg. A 14-year-old boy was shot in the thigh. The adults injured included a 37-year-old man, a 33-year-old man, and a 25-year-old woman.
CBS News reported that NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a Sunday morning briefing that an unknown man dressed entirely in black and wearing a ski mask approached the gathering and fired multiple rounds. Tisch said there was no indication that an argument or altercation took place before the shooting began.
Police recovered a firearm at the scene. No arrests had been made as of Sunday morning, and the investigation remained ongoing. Tisch said police believe there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Tisch also noted that a gang-related homicide had occurred on the same block earlier in the week, and investigators are looking into whether the two incidents are connected.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke at the briefing and addressed the shooting directly. "There is no place for this kind of violence in city," he said. "We will not tolerate it and we will fight it with every tool at our disposal. 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."
