One person was fatally shot and 11 people were wounded during a shoot-out, including two gunmen at the Old Timers Day block party in Brooklyn on Saturday.
What We Know:
- Two gunmen opened fire Saturday evening during the concert portion of the days-long 56th annual Old Timers Day, killing one and injuring 11 others. The shooting is potentially linked to a gang dispute, though no arrests have been made. It is unknown whether the victims of the shooting were targets of the gunfire or indiscriminate, but police announced Monday several of the gunshot victims have “gang histories” and the man killed is a suspected member of the Bloods gang.
- Brownsville citizens and Mayor Bill de Blasio explained this violence is a shocking break to a long-held unspoken “code” of nonviolence at the beloved event, which is meant to be “an example of everything good about Brownsville.” The New York Times reported that this shooting is particularly upsetting given Brownsville, a town ridden with street violence and poverty, had seen a decline in shootings this year despite opposite national trends.
- There were more than 100 police officers present at the event of more than 2,000 people at the Brownsville Recreation Center to respond to the shooting. This amount of officers is standard for NYPD at large events and allowed for quick response time, though some wonder how the shooting was even possible with this much police supervision. NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said the NYPD will continue to staff events the same way, looking at parties case-by-case to determine how many officers are necessary.
- Only one gun has been found at the scene but it is unclear as to whether it was used in the shooting. One victim remains in the hospital in critical condition, others remain hospitalized in serious condition and some victims have been released from the hospital.
Police have made no arrests and continue to look for two suspects; O’Neill has requested that civilians turn in any videos they may have to aid the police investigation.
