On September 2, 2024, in Brooklyn, five persons were shot, two of whom had serious injuries, close to the West Indian Day parade route, according to the NYPD.
John Chell, the NYPD Chief of Patrol, informed reporters during a 4 p.m. briefing that “of the five, two are critical and three are expected to survive.” Four men and one woman were among the injured, according to Chell.
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He referred to aggression as “an intentional act by one person towards a group of people.” According to Chell, it was unclear whether each person was the intended target. He reassured the people there was no “active shooter … running around Eastern Parkway as we speak.”
Chell also mentioned that the well-liked Labor Day procession and celebrations are still a part of the plan to execute.
“The parade is going on and it will go on until later tonight,” Chell said. “We have multiple cops working very hard this weekend and working very hard to keep this community and to keep this parade safe. And we’ll be working until the wee hours of the morning doing just that.”
Officials reported that the attacker is still at large. A slight-built Black male in his 20s with a bandana and a brown shirt stained with paint is the person they are searching for.
Some guests voiced concerns about gun violence earlier in the day, following the criminality that blighted previous years’ festivities.
While the numbers were still sizable, Marie Clarke, 58, of Brooklyn, who was dressed in green and yellow in honor of the Jamaican flag, saw a decline in previous years.
“It was more trucks, and it was more crowded,” Clarke expressed concern that many had been turned away due to a fear of gun violence.
“I think it’s because of the crime,” Clarke stated. “We need to unite and live in peace and harmony. And stop the violence. Stop killing each other. Put away the guns. There’s too much guns in this place. “
Shootings and stabbings ruined last year’s celebrations. Five individuals were shot in 2020, one of them a six-year-old kid.
Numerous lawmakers took part in the procession. Governor Kathy Hochul spoke to the crowds after Mayor Eric Adams cut the ribbon in the morning. Numerous City Council members as well as Attorney General Tish James were present.
Twitter users noted that Rev. Al Sharpton and his 5-year-old grandson had seen the procession earlier in the day “to celebrate Caribbean culture, joy, and heritage.” He said he later learned of the shooting. “It’s devastating that such a beautiful celebration was marred by senseless violence yet again,” he composed. “We must come together to end the cycle of gun violence in our communities.”
Masquerade bands have reported declining attendance, growing expenses, and decreasing funding in recent years, which has caused some organizations to become deeply indebted and engage in harsh rivalry.
Still, a lot of people expressed how important the festival was to them as the crowds assembled earlier in the day.
48-year-old Brooklyn school assistant Vanessa Campbell claimed to have spent months creating her outfit, which radiated from her glittering bikini like a dazzling sun of yellow, orange, and pink feathers. “Carnival is color, and so I blended all the bright colors together. And that’s how I feel about it. It’s full of life. It’s full of color.”
According to her, the parade’s purpose is to highlight the accomplishments made by New Yorkers of Caribbean descent. “We’re the teachers, we’re the nurses, we’re their council members,” she stated. “And these are things that we need to celebrate.”
