Police said a masked suspect fired into a Brooklyn courtyard during a July Fourth family gathering.
NEW YORK — A shooting at a July Fourth cookout near Coney Island wounded eight people, including four children, after a masked gunman opened fire into an apartment courtyard late Saturday, police said.
The shooting turned a holiday gathering into a crime scene about a block from the Coney Island boardwalk, where crowds had gathered earlier for Independence Day events. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Sunday that a 21-year-old woman was in critical condition and seven other victims were stable and expected to survive.
The gunfire broke out around 10:35 p.m. Saturday near West 30th Street and Surf Avenue, in a courtyard where a family had gathered for a barbecue. Tisch said the suspect, described as an unknown male dressed in black and wearing a black ski mask, approached the fence line and fired several rounds into the courtyard before running away. “There is no indication at this time that there was any argument or altercation at the barbecue before the shooting occurred,” Tisch said.
The victims included four boys, ages 6, 7, 12 and 14, police said. Two women, ages 21 and 25, and two men, ages 33 and 37, also were wounded. Officials said the 21-year-old woman was the only victim listed in critical condition. The other seven victims were taken to hospitals in stable condition. Their names had not been released as of Sunday, and police had not said whether any of the people shot were the intended targets.
Investigators recovered a firearm at the scene, Tisch said. Other reports from the scene said police also found shell casings as officers marked evidence near the courtyard. No arrest had been announced, and police had not publicly identified a motive. Tisch said investigators were looking at whether the shooting could be tied to a recent gang-related homicide on the same block, but officials had not confirmed a connection.
The shooting happened during one of Coney Island’s busiest days of the year. The neighborhood had drawn large holiday crowds to the beach, boardwalk and nearby events, including the annual Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest earlier Friday. The courtyard where the shooting took place sits close to the boardwalk but away from the main tourist strip. Police said there were no earlier reports of trouble at the cookout before the gunfire began.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the shooting during a Sunday briefing and said the city would use its resources to respond to the violence. Tisch said officers were continuing to gather evidence, review video and seek information about the gunman’s path after he fled. Police had not released a detailed suspect description beyond the black clothing and mask, and officials had not said whether they believed more than one person was involved.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as people ran and officers moved injured children toward ambulances. One nearby worker told reporters he saw police carrying children after checking security camera footage from the area. Emergency lights filled the block as officers taped off the street and investigators worked near the apartment complex. The shooting rattled residents who had gathered outside after the holiday fireworks and left families waiting for updates from hospitals.
The investigation remained active Sunday, with no arrest announced and one victim still in critical condition. Police said the next steps include reviewing surveillance video, tracing the recovered gun and determining whether the attack was connected to earlier violence nearby.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, July 5, 2026.