Five people have been shot at New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade, in the latest incidence 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 2:35pm on Monday, NYPD 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.
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.”
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.
The parade, an annual Labor Day event in its 57th year is a joyous occasion but the parade and celebrations have been plagued by violence over the years.
