Eight people, including four children, were shot while taking in fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July on Saturday night in New York City’s Coney Island, according to reports.
Officers responded to reports of multiple people being shot just after 10:30 p.m., the New York Police Department told The Independent.
Authorities found eight people suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene, which was outside the Seapark Apartments and near a boardwalk where a fireworks display had been held for the holiday.
The eight victims, who range in age from 6 to 37, were transported to nearby hospitals. Seven of the victims are in stable condition, while a 21-year-old woman is in critical condition after being shot in the chest.
The children injured in the shooting include a 6-year-old boy who was shot in the stomach, a 7-year-old boy who was shot in both legs, a 12-year-old boy who was shot in the leg and a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the thigh.
The adult victims include a 33-year-old man who was shot in the chest, a 25-year-old woman shot in the leg, a 37-year-old man shot in the shoulder and the 21-year-old woman in critical condition after a gunshot wound to the chest.
Nsowaa Stewart, a Coney Island resident, expressed her horror after describing the scene to NBC News.
“If you go by there, you see bikes, you see children’s toys, it’s horrible to walk by there,” she said. “This can’t happen again.”
Authorities recovered a firearm from the scene. No arrests have been made. It was not immediately clear how many gunmen were involved or if there was a motive behind the violence.
The incident remains under investigation, police said.
