The West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn, a vibrant annual event that attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees, ended in violence on Monday evening. Six individuals were shot along the parade route, despite an increased police presence aimed at maintaining peace during the festivities.
The parade, which spans approximately two miles, began at 11 a.m. on Utica Avenue near Lincoln Terrace Park. Participants and spectators moved westward toward the Brooklyn Museum, with a significant number of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers deployed to ensure safety. Harold Harvey, a 71-year-old Grenada native who has lived in Crown Heights since 1979, expressed his appreciation for the police presence, stating that it would deter those who might cause trouble.
However, as the parade was winding down, violence erupted. Six individuals were injured in three separate shooting incidents, including two with known gang affiliations. A man in his twenties was shot in the leg, and a woman in her forties was grazed by a bullet around 5:35 p.m. Both were taken to Kings County Hospital Center in stable condition.
Two more people, a 26-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, were shot around 6:30 p.m. The man was shot in the chest, and the woman was hit in the shoulder. Despite recovering five shell casings from the scene, the shooter remains at large. Another shooting incident occurred on Nostrand Avenue near Sterling Place, where a 40-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man were shot at 6:15 p.m. All victims are expected to survive.
The parade also attracted several political figures, including Mayor Eric Adams, Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and GOP mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa. They joined the festivities, shaking hands with attendees ahead of the November general election. Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James were also present.
Despite the violence, many attendees celebrated their culture and heritage. The event began with J’Ouvert, traditional daybreak festivities that mark the start of the carnival. Participants, smeared with colorful paint, oil, and powder, danced and celebrated before the daylight parade began.
The NYPD had deployed a record number of officers to the event, which has been marred by violence in the past. Despite the increased security measures, including 13 security checkpoints and thorough screenings with handheld metal detectors, the event ended in bloodshed.