Jessica Tisch said a masked gunman opened fire at a family barbecue in Brooklyn’s Coney Island just before 10:40 p.m. on July 4, wounding eight people in the Brooklyn July 4 shooting. Four of those wounded were children, and the gunman fled on foot after firing into the courtyard at 2929 West 31st St. near Surf Avenue.
The victims included a 6-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, a 7-year-old boy shot in both legs, a 12-year-old boy shot in one leg, and a 14-year-old boy struck in the thigh. A 21-year-old woman was hit in the chest and remained in critical condition; the other victims, including a 25-year-old woman, a 33-year-old man, and a 37-year-old man, were listed in stable condition.
Jessica Tisch on the gunman
Tisch said the shooter wore all-black clothing and a ski mask, walked up to the fence line, and fired numerous shots into the courtyard. She added, “The individual then fled on foot southbound on West 30th Street toward Surf Avenue. There is no indication at this time that there was any argument or altercation at the barbecue before the shooting occurred.”
EMS rushed the eight victims to nearby hospitals, and police recovered a gun with an extended magazine along with at least ten shell casings at the scene. The lack of any reported argument at the barbecue leaves investigators focused on why the shooter targeted a crowded family gathering and whether the attack was tied to the violence already seen on that block.
July 4-5 shootings in three boroughs
The Coney Island shooting was one of 12 people shot across three boroughs during the July 4-5 shootings. Michael LiPetri said, “The five shootings last night, and in the morning, two out of the five were in violent reduction zones.” Zohran Mamdani also said, “There is no place for this kind of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it, and we will fight it with every single tool at our disposal.”
Police said a gang-related homicide happened on the same block in Brooklyn last week, a detail that keeps the investigation from reading as an isolated street dispute. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers while the case remains open and the shooter remains unidentified.
