A day of music, dance, and Caribbean pride at New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade ended in bloodshed Monday, as at least six people were shot and another slashed in Crown Heights following the celebrations, police said.
The NYPD reported that the violence unfolded in four separate incidents between late afternoon and early evening as crowds began dispersing from the parade route along Eastern Parkway.
The first shooting was reported around 5:35 p.m. near 1098 Eastern Parkway, where a woman in her 40s was grazed in the back and a man in his 20s was shot in the leg. Both were hospitalized in stable condition.
Less than an hour later, at 6:12 p.m., a man was slashed near Eastern Parkway and Nostrand Avenue. Despite multiple injuries, he refused medical treatment and declined to cooperate with investigators.
By 6:46 p.m., two more men were shot in the shoulder near Classon Avenue and Eastern Parkway. Both were listed in stable condition, one taken to Kings County Hospital and the other arriving there by private transport.
Just minutes later, at 6:55 p.m., gunfire erupted outside Yard Pot Restaurant and Bakery on Nostrand Avenue and Sterling Street. A 53-year-old man was struck in the neck and leg and hospitalized in critical condition, while a 40-year-old woman was treated for a gunshot wound to the ankle and later stabilized.
Police said a person of interest was taken into custody, though no charges have been announced. The victims’ identities have not been released, and investigators have not confirmed whether the incidents were connected.
The violence came despite heightened security following last year’s fatal shooting at the parade.
Earlier in the day, the event itself unfolded with its usual pageantry, drawing hundreds of thousands of revelers who waved flags, wore vibrant costumes, and moved to the beats of soca, calypso, and reggae.
The annual parade is also a staple of New York’s political calendar, offering candidates a chance to connect with the city’s large Caribbean community. Mayor Eric Adams, who is seeking reelection as an independent, joined Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to cut the ceremonial ribbon, while civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton looked on.
Several of Adams’ rivals also made appearances. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani danced along the route, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered thumbs up to the crowd as he campaigned for mayor as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa greeted parade-goers in his trademark red Guardian Angels beret.
The investigation into Monday’s shootings and stabbing remains ongoing.
