Shooting at NYC's West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn leaves 1 dead, 4 hurt; Police searching for gunman
NEW YORK -- One person was killed and four others were hurt in a shooting Monday at New York City's West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn.
Police said 25-year-old Denzel A. Chan, of Texas, was shot in the abdomen. He later died of his injuries.
The gunfire erupted at around 1:45 p.m. on a sidewalk near Eastern Parkway between Classon and Franklin avenues in Crown Heights. A gunman "fired his weapon numerous times into a crowd," NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
In addition to Chan, a 69-year-old woman was shot in the back shoulder, a 64-year-old man was shot in the right arm, a 26-year-old man was shot in the head, and a 16-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm, police said. All of the victims were transported to Kings County Hospital.
Police are investigating a motive and sources say they're looking into whether the gun violence may have been gang related. Chan's uncle, Emanuel Dover, said he believes his nephew was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I know that he's no gang related, not [in] a gang," Dover said, adding Chan was "a good guy, a good kid, very good kid."
"It just didn't appear as though -- not the normal profile of gang members. So, we're just not sure at this time," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Mayor Adams defends NYPD's approach to parade security
The NYPD is still searching for the suspect, who is described as 6-foot with a slim build, and last seen wearing a bandana over his face and a brown shirt splattered with paint. The suspect is believed to be in his 20s.
Adams says in the days before the celebration the NYPD got 25 illegal guns out of the area.
"Let's be clear. One nut shot five people. One," Adams said.
The parade is a Labor Day tradition in Brooklyn and considered one of the borough's biggest events of the year. It was not disrupted by the shooting.
Some credit the NYPD for quick response
A vendor named Delroy said he jumped behind a parked car and called 911.
"I called and said, 'NYPD, gunshots, Eastern Parkway, right here behind that vehicle,'" Delroy said.
"It was literally 10 feet away from us. Everybody was bobbing. The next thing you know, you heard shots and somebody was slumped on the ground," vendor Herb Nelson said.
Parade goers told CBS News New York they won't let the violence overshadow the meaning of the day.
"Enjoying yourself, having a good time. Love each other. Have a good time," one person said.
"The cops handled it really good. They got here really fast," Nelson added.
Anyone with any information on the shooting is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
