A 15-year-old teenager has been accused of shooting five people in the early hours of Monday, including a 6-year-old boy, taking part in a Caribbean diaspora celebration in Brooklyn.
Yesterday, the Police Department had reported that two people had been arrested and seized two pistols, albeit without giving further details.
Today they confirmed that the perpetrator was arrested fifteen minutes after the shooting and that he is charged with attempted murder.
According to NBC, the six-year-old boy was injured with his mother as they got out of a cab and were on their way home in the Crown Heights area.
The shooting occurred a little before 3:00 a.m. on Monday, during the celebration of a Caribbean carnival, known as “J’Ouvert”, and which usually starts in the middle of the night, although this year had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minor was injured in his left leg and transferred to Kings County Hospital, where neither his life nor that of his mother, 47, are in danger.
The three men also suffered impacts on their feet and legs.
Gun incidents increase considerably
Gun incidents at this celebration are commonplace and police had announced that they would redouble their efforts in the Brooklyn neighborhood to avoid possible confrontations.
New York is witnessing an alarming uptick in shootings in most of its districts, including Brooklyn.
This weekend, which spans three days as Monday coincides with the Labor Day holiday, is traditionally regarded as one of the most violent of the year.
Between January and August, there were 1,014 shootings, 87% more than the 541 that occurred at the same time in 2019, as well as 291 murders, representing 34% more than the 217 that occurred in the same period last year.
Police Chief Terence Monahan reported that last week the highest number of arrests had been recorded in the seven-day period since 1995 and detailed that in the weekend alone officers seized 87 firearms and 128 people were charged with crimes related to gun violence.
