Shootings, stabbings mar Brooklyn West Indian Day Parade

The annual West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn was marred by a series of shootings and stabbings on Monday, despite heightened security measures deployed by the New York Police Department.

Three people were shot in two separate incidents near the parade route in Crown Heights shortly after 4:00 pm.

Police say a 24-year-old man was shot in the buttocks near Nostrand Avenue and St John’s Place. A person was taken into custody and a firearm recovered. The victim was hospitalised and is expected to recover.

Minutes later, a 37-year-old woman was shot in the leg near Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue, while a 19-year-old man suffered graze wounds to both legs. Both were taken to Kings County Hospital in stable condition. Police have not said whether the shootings were connected.

Earlier, several people were stabbed or slashed in Crown Heights as J’Ouvert celebrations were getting underway. Police were investigating attacks that left at least three men stabbed, including one who was initially reported to be critically injured, while other victims suffered slash wounds. No arrests had been reported in connection with those attacks.

The violence occurred despite an extensive NYPD security operation, including thousands of officers and enhanced screening measures.

The parade, which celebrates Caribbean culture, was also scheduled to end earlier than in previous years in an effort to reduce violence.

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