West Indian American Day Parade erupted with gun attack, five shot among thousands of revellers

The West Indian American Day Parade kicked off on Monday, 2^nd September 2024, with thousands of revellers dancing and marching through Brooklyn, New York. During the parade, five people were shot at Eastern Parkway near Franklin Ave in Crown Heights.

This West Indian American Day Parade was conducted in order to celebrate the 57^th edition of the Annual Labor Day event. It is considered as one of the world’s largest celebrations of Caribbean culture which turns the borough’s Eastern Parkway into a kaleidoscope of feather-covered costumes and colorful flags.

This event plays a huge role in attracting thousands of spectators who gather together with stunning costumes, savor delicious cuisine, and groove to lively music. This parade is truly a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean community.

While shedding light on the incident, the New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Patrol John stated that this act was an intentional act done by a person towards a group of people. He confirmed that five people were hit by bullets, out of which two were in critical condition and the other three managed to survive.

He stated that they have cordoned off an area adjacent to the parade route and are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter.

Notably, this Labour Day is also known as the culmination of days of carnival events in the city. This event includes a steel pan band competition and J’Ouvert, a separate street party celebrating freedom from slavery.

Also, during the parade, all the participants made their way down the thoroughfare alongside floats stacked high with speakers playing soca and reggae music. This parade lines the almost 2-mile route that runs from Crown Heights to the Brooklyn Museum.

As per the details, this place is also considered as a famous destination for the locations, out of which many have West Indian heritage or represent the Caribbean community.

This is not the first time that such an incident of gunshot has occurred in the parade. Initially, in 2016 as well, two people were shot to death, and others were wounded during a parade route. The citizens shared their views on this incident through their comments on social media accounts.

One person commented, “Did we go to their parade and start shootings…do us a favor and stop coming to our functions unless you are coming, correct!”

Another person wrote “Only in America can you have 5 people shot and it just briefly disrupts the celebration.”