Brooklyn parade shooting: Gunman targets group, injures five during West Indian celebration in NYC

Five people were shot Monday during

New York

City's

West Indian American Day Parade

, an annual celebration of Caribbean culture that has once again been marred by

violence

, according to police.
The incident occurred around 2:35 pm along the parade route in Brooklyn, where a

gunman

, targeting a specific group, opened fire. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell confirmed that two of the victims were critically wounded, while the other three are expected to recover.

The suspect fled the scene.
"This was not random," Chell said, emphasizing that the act was deliberate and not indicative of a broader threat. "We do not by no means have any active shooter or anything of that nature running around Eastern Parkway as we speak. The parade is going on and will go on until later on tonight."

Despite the

shooting

, the parade continued, with thousands of revelers dancing and marching down Eastern Parkway, a key thoroughfare in Brooklyn. The event, now in its 57th year, is a highlight of the city's Labor Day celebrations, drawing enormous crowds who come to enjoy the vibrant display of Caribbean culture.
An AP videographer who was nearby during the shooting saw at least two people being treated for what appeared to be wounds to the face and arm. The violence left many attendees shaken.

"I'm crying over this, it's so terrible. How can someone have the heart to fire a gun around so many people—babies, children, the elderly," Jalissa Bailey told the New York Post. "I know this parade has a history of violence, but things have been peaceful in recent years, and we got to hoping that there was enough security in place that maybe that was over with."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was marching in the parade at the time, completed the route without incident. Police have since cordoned off the area near the shooting, placing crime scene markers and collecting evidence. Officers were seen bagging items while the parade continued.
Chell urged anyone with video footage of the shooting to share it with the police, saying, "We need that video. We are going to solve this, but it's going to take a lot of work."
The West Indian American Day Parade, with its roots in early 20th-century Carnival celebrations by Trinidadian immigrants, has grown into one of the largest annual events in New York City. The parade, which now concludes a series of Carnival events, including a steel pan band competition and the J'Ouvert street party, has a long and storied history in Brooklyn, a borough with deep Caribbean ties.
However, the event has also seen its share of violence over the years. In 2016, two people were killed and several others wounded near the parade route. The previous year, Carey Gabay, an aide to then-Governor Andrew Cuomo, was fatally shot during pre-parade festivities.
Despite these incidents, the West Indian American Day Parade remains a cornerstone of New York City's cultural calendar, showcasing the rich heritage of the Caribbean community.