West Indian Day Parade begins in New York City

J’Ouvert is rooted in the Caribbean as a way to mark the beginning of Carnival. The mayor called the shootings “fundamentally unacceptable” and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. A 66-year-old woman was also injured while fleeing the scene.

“Unfortunately, there are still criminals who, despite society and our best effort to control their behavior, insist on breaking the law”, said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton at a question and answer session with reporters Monday.

Both victims were from Brooklyn. About 25 minutes later, a bullet struck a 22-year-old woman in the head nearby at Washington Avenue, killing her, police said. Borel was later pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital.

At least four people were shot and one was stabbed amid bloodshed at the pre-dawn J’Ouvert parade in Brooklyn, police said. “I got nearly trampled, I nearly got trampled”, one woman told NY1 News.

Then, at about 7 a.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the leg at Rogers and Clarkson Avenues. He is in stable condition at Kings County Hospital.

Meanwhile, investigators said that a man was stabbed and slashed in the neck and left cheek near Eastern Parkway and Classon Avenue at around 5:30 a.m.

“We’re not going to let a few bad apples what is so important to so many New Yorkers”, de Blasio said. No arrests have been made. The carnival, which is held in a number of United States cities with West Indian communities, is famous for its display of flamboyant costumes and steel drum bands. “We had more violence and more death last night”, Cuomo said.

At this year’s festival, Police distributed leaflets that said: “This community will no longer tolerate this violence”.

Last year, a former aide to Gov. Cuomo, Carey Gabay, was shot by a stray bullet and killed before the parade. Despite the festival being an expression of Caribbean heritage and culture, the J’Ouvert parade 2016 is the latest and certainly not the last edition to be marred by violence. They also added security cameras and more light towers. Police conducted a gun buy-back the Friday before the festivities.

“De Blasio stopped short of calling for the cancellation of the J’Ouvert festivities, but explained that “all options were on the table” after a full review.” .

“We will find a way to continue to do that in a safe environment”, Adams said.

De Blasio would not say whether the pre-parade celebration, which has been plagued with violence in recent years, should be canceled next year, other than to say “we will work with community leaders and do a thorough review”.