by Brooklyn, NY – What began as a vibrant celebration of culture, music, and heritage during the annual West Indian American Day Parade and J’Ouvert festival in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, ended in violence on Monday evening as six people were shot along the parade route, despite a record number of NYPD officers deployed for security.
A Day of Culture and Celebration
The official parade began at 11 a.m. on Utica Avenue near Lincoln Terrace Park, stretching westward toward the Brooklyn Museum. Crowds in the hundreds of thousands gathered to enjoy music, food, and traditional performances, with many attendees draped in colorful Caribbean flags.
One reveler, Harold Harvey, 71, originally from Grenada and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, said he was encouraged by the heavy police presence earlier in the day.
“The cops are around. They are with the people,” Harvey said. “Their heavy presence will keep away the people who come to make trouble.”
At dawn, thousands had already gathered for J’Ouvert, the daybreak festivities filled with paint, powder, and oil, where participants danced in the streets to celebrate Caribbean traditions before the daylight parade kicked off.
Maureen Bellinger, 77, a retired social worker from Trinidad, shared how deeply personal the celebration was for her:
“When I was young, I used to come with my mother. When my children were younger, I took them to continue the tradition. I’m having a good time… I told my daughter I’d go home after I see her, but I ain’t going home yet!”
Violence Erupts Despite Security
By evening, however, the festivities took a dark turn. Around 5:35 p.m., shots rang out on Eastern Parkway, striking a man in his 20s in the leg and grazing a woman in her 40s. Both victims were rushed to Kings County Hospital Center and were listed in stable condition.
According to NY Post, Less than an hour later, at 6:30 p.m., two more people—a 21-year-old man shot in the chest and a 26-year-old woman shot in the shoulder—were injured in a second shooting on the same stretch of Eastern Parkway. Authorities recovered five shell casings, but the gunman fled and remains at large.
In yet another incident just 15 minutes earlier, a 40-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man were shot near Nostrand Avenue and Sterling Place, about 2.5 miles from the parade route.
Thankfully, all six victims are expected to survive, but the spate of shootings underscored the ongoing challenges of ensuring safety during large-scale public events.
Political Leaders and Community Response
This year’s celebration drew not just revelers but also major political figures. Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rev. Al Sharpton, Attorney General Letitia James, and several mayoral candidates—including Zohran Mamdani, Curtis Sliwa, and Andrew Cuomo—were present at the parade, mingling with the crowds.
Former Governor Cuomo, who is now running for mayor as an independent, reflected on past violence, marking the 10th anniversary of Carey Gabay’s death. Gabay, a Cuomo aide, was killed during 2015’s J’Ouvert when caught in gang crossfire. Cuomo called the 2015 killing a “senseless act of violence” and noted Gabay had been “doing everything right” at the time of his death.
Read Also: Southern California Wedding Crasher Allegedly Steals $100K in Gifts From Glendale Couple
NYPD’s Record Security Measures
Officials stressed that this year’s parade had unprecedented security measures. More than 2,500 NYPD officers were deployed to Brooklyn, with revelers required to pass through 13 security checkpoints along the route. Attendees were screened with handheld metal detectors and fenced in with two rows of barricades, doubling security from prior years.
“I don’t mind being searched. It’s for our safety. It’s a good thing,” Harvey said, as helicopters hovered overhead and officers patrolled on foot.
Other attendees, like Oslyn, a longtime parade-goer since 1989, praised the security’s effectiveness.
“It’s good that more police are here. And you see the helicopter overhead, too. It’s deterring those bad elements, definitely. Everywhere you turn, you see cops and that’s good.”
Tradition Overshadowed by Violence
While J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Parade remain a cornerstone of Caribbean cultural expression in New York City, the repeated episodes of violence continue to tarnish the festival’s reputation. In 2023, a 25-year-old Texas man was fatally shot at the parade, with four others wounded.
Despite three years of relative peace during pre-dawn J’Ouvert festivities, Monday’s events served as a reminder that deep-rooted issues of gang activity and public safety remain concerns for the city.
For many attendees, however, the parade is about more than just the violence. It is about heritage, family, and community—something they say they will continue to celebrate, no matter the challenges.
What do you think? Should New York City increase restrictions for J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Parade to prevent future violence, or would that take away from the cultural spirit of the event? Share your thoughts in the comments at ibwhsmag.com.
