IBNS-CMEDIA: At least eight people, including four children, were injured in a shooting during a Fourth of July family barbecue in the Coney Island neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday night, according to media reports.
The incident occurred as family members were celebrating in the courtyard of a high-rise apartment building near Surf Avenue.
According to reports, an unidentified gunman dressed entirely in black, including a black ski mask, approached the gathering and opened fire, discharging multiple rounds into the courtyard before fleeing the scene on foot.
Officers responding to an emergency call at around 10:35 p.m. found eight victims suffering from gunshot wounds, the New York Police Department told CNN. The victims included four boys aged 6, 7, 12 and 14, two women aged 21 and 25, and two men aged 33 and 37.
Police said the 21-year-old woman and the 33-year-old man were shot in the chest, while the 6-year-old boy sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The three older boys were each shot in the leg or thigh.
According to media reports, the 21-year-old woman’s condition remained critical. The remaining victims were reported to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities have not yet determined a motive for the attack, and the identities of the victims have not been released.
Reacting to the incident, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on X: “Last night in Coney Island, eight people — including four children — were shot when a family barbecue was shattered by an unconscionable act of gun violence. Coney Island is a neighborhood where generations of New Yorkers come together every summer to celebrate the Fourth of July, making this mass shooting all the more heartbreaking.”
Expressing support for the victims and their families, he added: “My heart is with every person who was injured, their loved ones, and the entire Coney Island community. I am wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery.”
“No parent should have to fear taking their child to a family barbecue. No child should ever have to experience the trauma of gun violence,” the mayor said.
No arrests had been made as of Sunday, and the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
