Six people were shot during the West Indian Day Festival parade in New York City.
About a million people are expected to attend the parade through the streets of Brooklyn.
The festivities began before sunrise, the so-called J’Ouvert part of the festivities, and were expected to end around 6:00 p.m.
At approximately 2:42 p.m. Monday afternoon, shots rang out in the 300 block of Eastern Parkway, prompting an angry response from bystanders.
It is believed one victim was shot in the head, another in the shoulder and a third in the wrist. New York Post reported.
At least six people were shot during the West Indian Day Festival parade in New York City
About a million people are expected to attend the parade through the city streets
At approximately 2:42 p.m. Monday afternoon, shots were fired on the 300 block of Eastern Parkway, prompting an angry response from bystanders
Police had already assured the public that there would be an increased police presence
The West Indian Day Parade is a carnival celebration of West Indian culture and is held annually on the first Monday of September.
In 2016, two people were shot dead during the festivities leading up to the parade.
In the run-up to the 2015 parade, two people also tragically lost their lives.
During the parade, participants march from Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue to Nostrand Avenue and Rutland Road.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was in attendance Monday and later wrote on X: “It was a beautiful day for the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn!
“I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating our Caribbean communities and all they mean to our state.”
It is believed one victim was shot in the head, another in the shoulder and a third in the wrist
Shots rang out on the 300 block of Eastern Parkway on Monday afternoon, prompting a frenzied response from bystanders
Emergency services were called to the scene to respond to the incident
The police had previously promised to have a strong presence at the festival this year, with drones, security cameras and portable metal detectors.
“There will be a lot of security measures that people will see, but there will also be a lot of measures that you won’t see,” New York Police Department Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said earlier this week.
Police had previously promised to have a strong presence at the festival this year, equipped with drones, security cameras and portable metal detectors
Evidence was bagged at the scene