Shooting victim at West Indian Day parade in NYC dies, lone gunman still on the loose
One of five people shot at a parade in New York City on Monday has died and the shooter is still at large, according to police.
Police told Fox News Digital that a 25-year-old man who was shot in the abdomen at the West Indian American Day festival in Brooklyn succumbed to his injuries. He was originally placed in critical condition and then stabilized, but later passed away due to complications.
His identity has not yet been released, pending family notification, although local media say he is from Texas.
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The suspected shooter, who is still on the run, is described as a man in his 20s with a slim build and was last seen wearing a brown shirt with paint stains and a black bandanna.
The gunman allegedly got on a cement divider between a service road and the parade route at the 300 block of Eastern Parkway and opened fire on the crowd.
The other victims included a 69-year-old woman who was hit in the shoulder, a 64-year-old man who was struck in the arm, a 16-year-old who was shot in the arm, and a 36-year-old man in the head, Fox 5 reports. All four victims remain in stable condition at Kings County Hospital, the New York Post reports.
Thousands of people were gathered along the parade route for the festival, which celebrates "Caribbean heritage and culture," when the lone gunman opened fire at around 2:35 p.m.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said that the shooting was not random.
"This was an intentional act by one person towards a group of people," Chell said at a press briefing Monday.
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"We do not by no means have any active shooter or anything of that nature running around Eastern Parkway as we speak. The parade is going on and will go on until later on tonight."
He appealed to any bystanders who may have footage to come forward.
"We need that video," Chell said. "We are going to solve this, but it’s going to take a lot of work."
The parade, an annual Labor Day event in its 57th year, turns Eastern Parkway into a kaleidoscope of feather-covered costumes and colorful flags as participants make their way down the thoroughfare alongside floats stacked high with speakers playing soca and reggae music. Many immigrants from the Caribbean have settled in Brooklyn in the past.
Though usually a joyous occasion, the parade and related celebrations have been plagued by violence over the years.
In 2016, two people were killed and several others were wounded near the parade route. The year before, Carey Gabay, an aide to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was shot in the head during pre-parade festivities. He died nine days later.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer marched in the parade at the time and later took to X to react to the day’s violence.
"I’m pained and troubled by the horrible shooting that took place as we were marching together at the West Indian Day Festival and Parade in Brooklyn," Schumer posted.
"Thank you to our 1st responders on the scene. I pray for everyone affected. We must keep working to end gun violence in America."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.