Gunman opens fire at July 4 barbecue in Brooklyn, wounding 8 including 4 children

Eight people, including four children, were wounded in a shooting incident at a Fourth of July barbecue in Brooklyn's Coney Island on Friday night. Authorities reported that an unidentified gunman, wearing a black ski mask, approached a family gathering and opened fire around 10:35 p.m. local time before fleeing the scene. The victims included two men, two women, and four boys aged between six and fourteen years old.

Following the attack, emergency services transported all eight victims to local hospitals. A 21-year-old woman remains in critical condition after sustaining a chest wound, while the other seven injured individuals are listed in stable condition. Among the children, a six-year-old was shot in the stomach, a seven-year-old in both legs, a twelve-year-old in the leg, and a fourteen-year-old in the thigh. Police recovered a firearm at the scene, but no arrests have been made as the investigation continues.

The New York Police Department indicated there was no immediate evidence of an argument preceding the shooting and is investigating a potential connection to a gang-related homicide that occurred in the same vicinity earlier in the week. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the violence, stating that such acts would not be tolerated in the city.