A six-year-old boy and his mother were among five people shot in New York as people gathered for a celebration known as J'Ouvert, a street party that typically marks the start of Carnival in Caribbean cultures.
Two people started shooting at a small crowd celebrating in front of a house on Monday in Brooklyn. The gunfire broke out just as the mother and boy were getting out of a cab.
The young child was shot in his left leg, while the other victims were shot in either their feet or legs. All were hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.
According to the New York Police Department, two suspects have been arrested in connection with the shootings and two guns were recovered. NYPD chief Terence Monahan tweeted a public appeal for information on the attack, adding that the investigation is “in its early stages and is ongoing.”
The gruesome incident also apparently drew comment from US president Donald Trump, who tweeted a remark about the “bad night” that Brooklyn had.
The J'Ouvert event usually involves a carnival, but due to the coronavirus restrictions this year, the celebrations have been limited to a smaller gathering of around 300 people.
New York has been suffering a noticeable uptick in violent crimes, and specifically shootings, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown measures.
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