Man, 38, is killed as TWELVE people – including a child – are shot in a hail of gunfire at a Brooklyn playground during annual block party ‘old-timers’ event.
A 38-year-old man has died following a mass shooting at a park in New York City.
Eleven other people – including a child – were injured as a hail of gunfire erupted at Brownsville Playground in Brooklyn at around 11 pm on Saturday night.
The area was teeming with locals who were out celebrating ‘Old Timers Week’ – an annual community block party in its 56th year.
A single shooter – still at large – is believed to be responsible for the tragedy, according to The New York Post.
Following the incident, scores of police and EMS response teams descended upon the area before victims were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Detectives were seen pacing the area, with one abandoned firearm found among discarded cups and bottles that littered the ground following the festival.
One witness told The New York Post that the gunfire came as a complete surprise – and didn’t appear to be caused by an altercation.
‘I heard shots and I ducked. When I stuck my head up, and the smoke cleared, it was pure pandemonium,’ he recalled.
Mayor Bill de Blasio posted shortly after midnight on Sunday: ‘We had a terrible shooting in Brownsville tonight that shattered a peaceful neighborhood event. Our hearts go out to the victims.
‘We will do everything in our power to keep this community safe and get guns off our streets.’
The ‘Brownsville Old Timers Week’ features food stalls and live entertainment, with a flyer posted on Facebook showing that the second part of the two-day event kicked off at 6pm on Saturday.
Facebook photos posted just hours before the shooting show a tranquil scene, with dozens of people pictured enjoying the block party beneath leafy trees.
Police have not revealed whether they currently have any suspects in relation to the deadly incident, and the situation is still developing.
