A Flatbush teenager has been charged with attempted murder in connection to a Crown Heights mass shooting that left six people injured during an unofficial J’Ouvert celebration, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.
The 16-year-old shooter allegedly fired several shots into a crowd of people at 2:44 am on Sept. 7 near Crown Street and Nostrand Avenue, striking six people, including a seven-year-old boy, before being arrested on Lincoln Road 20 minutes later.
“This defendant allegedly opened fire into a crowd, disrupting a community celebration while showing complete disregard for the devastation he might cause,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “It is fortunate no one was killed as a result of his senseless actions.”
Surveillance footage from the shooting shows a silver vehicle pull up to Crown Street five minutes before gunfire begins — and the defendant, who was a week shy of his 16th birthday at the time, walk south on Nostrand Avenue for five minutes before opening fire.
Four of the victims were shot in the legs — including the young boy, who suffered a broken femur — while two victims were shot in the feet. First responders rushed them to Kings County Hospital where they were treated for their injuries.
The mass shooting was the only incident of gun violence in central Brooklyn during Labor Day Weekend when the West Indian Carnival, which was canceled this year, normally takes place. Though, the incident came during a particularly violent summer in the 71st Precinct, which has seen shooting incidents spike 130 percent year-to-date as of Sept. 27, compared to the same time last year, city data shows.
The alleged shooter was held without bail and ordered to return to court in November.
