Shooting during July 4th celebration in NY leaves 8 injured, including 4 children

Washington.- A man opened fire on Saturday night at a July 4th Independence Day celebration in Brooklyn, New York, wounding eight people, including four minors, police reported on Sunday.

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The man, who has not been identified, fired several shots into the patio of a home while a family was celebrating the holiday with a barbecue, New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch told the press.

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The officers who arrived at the scene around 10:35 p.m. local time (2:35 GMT) found eight people with gunshot wounds: four children aged 6, 7, 12, and 14, two women aged 21 and 25, and two men aged 33 and 37.

The shooting in New York on July 4th

The 21-year-old woman and the 33-year-old man were shot in the chest, the 6-year-old minor was struck in the abdomen, and the other three children suffered gunshot wounds to the leg or thigh, the NYPD detailed.

The 21-year-old victim is in critical condition, while the rest remain stable. The suspect was dressed entirely in black with his face covered by a ski mask and fled on foot after firing. A TEC-9 firearm with an extended magazine, as well as 10 spent shell casings, were recovered at the scene, police added.

Although the authorities have not yet released the names of the victims or confirmed the motive for the shooting, Tisch indicated that there were no signs of arguments or altercations at the barbecue prior to the attack.

The mayor’s statements

“There is no place for this type of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it and we will fight it with every tool at our disposal,” stated New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani.

In the United States, a country where gun ownership is widespread, it is common for shootings to occur during holidays. Reports from organizations such as the Gun Violence Archive show spikes around dates like July 4th or Thanksgiving.

Last Friday, at the start of the Independence Day holiday weekend, two people died and at least one other was injured following a shooting between two groups at the Fairlane Town Center mall in Dearborn, Michigan, according to law enforcement.

“Apparently, it was not a random act of violence; the incident involved two groups who knew each other and met at the mall. A fight broke out that escalated into a shooting,” Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin told the press.