July 4 family barbecue turns into Brooklyn horror as masked gunman wounds 8, including 4 children
NEW YORK, NY: A Fourth of July family barbecue in Brooklyn ended in chaos after a masked gunman opened fire into a crowded courtyard, injuring eight people, including four children, in what investigators believe may be connected to an earlier gang-related homicide on the same block.
The shooting occurred late Saturday night in Coney Island as relatives gathered to celebrate Independence Day, prompting a major police response and renewed concerns over holiday gun violence.
According to the New York Police Department, the suspect, dressed in all black and wearing a black ski mask, approached a fence along Surf Avenue at about 10.35 pm, fired multiple rounds into the gathering and fled on foot before officers arrived.
Children among eight people wounded
US: 8 people wounded in shooting incident in Brooklyn area of New York; Investigation ongoing to identify and apprehend shooter, say police. pic.twitter.com/9q8gEimE9i
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) July 5, 2026
Police said the victims included four boys, ages 6, 7, 12 and 14, two women, ages 21 and 25, and two men, ages 33 and 37.
The 21-year-old woman and the 33-year-old man were each shot in the chest, while the 6-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The three older boys were struck in the leg or thigh.
Authorities said the 21-year-old woman remains in critical condition, while the other seven victims are expected to survive.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators found no evidence of an argument or disturbance before the shooting. Officers recovered a TEC-9-style firearm with an extended magazine along with 10 spent shell casings at the scene.
Police examine possible gang connection
Mayor Mamdani addressed two July Fourth shootings, one that injured two NYPD officers and another in Coney Island that left eight people shot, including four children. "There is no place for this kind of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it, and we will fight it with… pic.twitter.com/ExBZ0kjZ7E
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 5, 2026
Investigators are examining whether the attack is linked to a confirmed gang-related homicide that occurred on the same block last week.
"We are looking into whether there is a nexus between the two incidents," Tisch said, while emphasizing that no motive has yet been established.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the violence, saying, "There is no place for this kind of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it."
He added that New Yorkers should be able to celebrate holidays without fear, pledging continued support for the victims and their families.
No arrests had been announced as of Sunday, and police continued searching for the gunman.
The shooting capped a violent holiday weekend in Brooklyn. Hours later, an NYPD detective was struck in the back of his ballistic vest during a confrontation with an armed suspect in Crown Heights. The detective was not seriously injured, and the suspect was taken into custody.
