Gun violence after Brooklyn's West Indian Day Parade overshadowed otherwise festive weekend, organizers say

This year, the New York City Police Department deployed more cops to the West Indian Day Parade than they did to Times Square on New Year's Eve, but it still wasn't enough to stop the gun violence.

Police said after the parade ended, seven people were shot, including a 14-year-old boy, and two were slashed.

Restaurant staff helped shooting victim

Between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m., after the parade ended and people were still out enjoying the festivities, violence broke out.

"The reality is, is if it's going to happen, it's going to happen," Crown Heights resident Samantha Mason said.

On Nostrand Avenue and Sterling Street, a 40-year-old woman was shot in the left ankle and a 53-year-old man was hit in the neck and right leg.

Yard Pot Restaurant and Bakery staff member Lloyd Dyer said the man stumbled inside the restaurant and staff put pressure on his wound.

"Started to bleed. One of my guys put some paper towels on it. And then within the next about five minutes, swarming of cops," Dyer said.

Employees say the victim returned Tuesday to thank them for helping him.  

The suspect in that shooting is in custody. Police sources say he has possible ties to the Nine Trey gang.

"Data means nothing to the people who were shot"

Months of preparation went into the weekend highlighting Caribbean heritage in Brooklyn, and Gilford Monrose, coordinator of NYC Safe J'Ouvert & Labor Day Weekend, says community safety partners worked tirelessly through Monday.

"We feel that these incidents, isolated incidents, is overshadowing the weekend," he said.  

"Everybody was having fun. It was good, clean fun when I walked through," East Flatbush resident Marlon James said.

Historically, there have been violent incidents at the parade, including in 2024 when one man was killed and four people were injured in what police said was a gang-related shooting.

The NYPD issued its largest deployment of the year Monday with 2,500 officers surged into Brooklyn. There were 13 security checkpoints at the parade, and spectators were screened with handheld metal detectors.

Mayor Eric Adams released a statement on the violence, saying in part, "Last night's violence in Brooklyn during the West Indian Day Parade is a painful reminder that even one shooting is one too many. We will not allow the reckless actions of a few to overshadow the vibrant culture and joy of this celebration or the progress we've made in making our city safer."

According to the NYPD, overall crime has gone down since the beginning of the year. In Brooklyn, there's a 14% decline in shooting incidents compared to the same time last year.

But Public Advocate Jumaane Williams says, "Data means nothing to the people who were shot."

"They don't want to just hear data," he added. "They want their loved ones and their communities to stop dealing with this violence."

Williams says it also has to do with stopping the flow of illegal guns on the streets.