Night of Violence Injures Many and Claims Life

An inseparable part of the West Indian-American Day Parade is a nighttime celebration called J’ouvert. It is a night feared and dreaded by the police, both for their own safety and the amount of people who get shot and stabbed throughout the night. This year was no different, with a number of fatalities as well as people shot and stabbed all around the area.

J’ouvert literally translates into ‘dawn/day break,’ and is a celebration marked by a booze filled night accompanied by calypso/soca style bands and dancing through the streets. The festival starts well before dawn and peaks a few hours after sunrise.

The following is an incomplete list of some of the violence that marked this year’s celebrations:

* The violence erupted early, just outside of Crown Heights on Blake Street and Alabama Avenue, where a man was shot dead at around 10:30pm.

* 12:30am, two people were shot on East 54th Street and Clarendon Road. Their condition is unknown.

* 12:50am, three people were shot on Lenox Avenue and East 51st Street; one of the victims was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

* 3:00am, a man was stabbed on the corner of St. Marks Place and Rochester Avenue; police were searching for two assailants that fled the scene. A level one mobilization was called.

* 3:40am, a man was stabbed on Albany Avenue and Rutland Road, his condition is unknown.

* 4:00am, a large mob formed on Empire Boulevard and Bedford Avenue; police called for emergency backup. There were no reported injuries.

* 4:20am, police began chasing a man on a yellow dirt bike on Utica Avenue and Winthrop Street, after he shot at people indiscriminately.

* 4:27am, a man was shot on Linden Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue. A level one mobilization was called. The victim was shot in the chest and rushed to the hospital in grave condition.

* 4:30am, police chased a man in a white tank top on Rutland Road between East 95th Street and East 96th Street for firing shots.

* 4:32am, a large mob formed on Carroll Street and Bedford Avenue. Police called for emergency backup. There were no reported injuries.

* 4:59am, police arrested one man with a gun on Winthrop and East 93rd Street. Police spot the yellow dirt bike on Blake Avenue and East 98th Street.

* 5:08am, police apprehended the dirt biker on Atlantic Avenue and Eastern Parkway.

* 5:29am, a man was stabbed in the neck on New York and Church Avenues.

* 6:00am, shots were fired inside a crowded McDonalds on Empire Boulevard, and the shooter fled down Washington Avenue towards Lefferts. Panic and mayhem ensued and a number of people were trampled in the stampede. Later, one person was found shot at the location. Update: the victim was a female who is now listed as in grave condition at the hospital.

CrownHeights.info was informed that these were only but a handful of the serious incidents, and that police were busy the entire night handling other assaults and robberies.

51 Comments

  • A nechtiger tug

    ‘shudders’ What is this about? Random violence or street gangsters settling scores? Was it this bad closer to the shechuna as well?

  • crown street

    now i know why there was non stop noise last night including police cars and helicopters! This is one crazy parade! Thanks for posting

  • This is what we live with

    Put low functioning humanoids with a jungle mentality in an uncivil environment that act this way normally with out alcohol and this is what you get.

    Think Al will show these highlights on his show? Let’s see if the liberal Daily News or the WSJ prints anything.

  • South End

    To #2: Remember…a whole lot of Yidden now live in the Albany and Maple, Albany and Rutland, Kingston and Rutland, etc areas. Hundreds of us. This IS the shechuna now too. Come visit sometime!

  • can-t go home

    Ban this parade. Decent folk get hurt or killed every year. At least move it to Harlem.

  • hate this place

    Place is sick. I hate labor day – do not look forward to the noise or stench at all. Unfortunately the noise level begins Friday and doesn’t end till Tuesday late morning where it looks like crown heights went through a war zone!

  • ch resident

    we were out there on eastern pkwy coming back from upstate at around 1.30am and there was tons and tons of traffic and the streets were packed with shvartzers as if it was the middle of the day it was crazy

  • Zoo

    I asked my wife this morning about taking the family to the Prospect zoo today. She said, “Why? The zoo came here.” I doubled over laughing.

  • President n Kingston

    Its time for all residents of the shchuna to get together now to petition against it next year

  • Does your hate bring you peace?

    To #4- Your hateful, prejudiced comment is disgusting to me. I’m a Jew, and I would NEVER use such words to describe another group of human beings. To make such a generalization is the same kind of thinking that accuses Jews of being money-hungry, obnoxious, elitist, mean, dishonest, child-molesting people. Not every person who was part of the parade shot someone or fought with someone! Families of victims are suffering from worry or grieving for their relatives/friends. Are THEY also of “jungle mentality”? Please think about how you sound to someone who understands socio-economic inner city madness to be the curse of many perpetrated by the tragic mentality of a minority of that population.

  • LET-S WORK TOGETHER

    I READ ONCE THAT THE ORGANIZERS OF THIS PARADE HAVE ASKED THE CITY MANY TIMES TO MOVE IT AWAY FROM CROWN HEIGHTS & INTO MANHATTAN – IT IS AN ENORMOUS PARADE IN TERMS OF NUMBERS & THE ORGANIZERS FEEL THAT IT HAS OUTGROWN BROOKLYN & NOW “DESERVES” THE STATUS OF A MAJOR MANHATTAN PARADE !!! BUT WHICHEVER AGENCY GIVES OUT THE PERMITS ISN“T INTERESTED IN MOVING THIS TO MANHATTAN – AND SO IT STAYS HERE . MAYBE WE SHOULD USE OUR POLITICAL CLOUT TO HELP THE ORGANIZERS SWITCH TO MANHATTAN ASAP – IT WOULD BE A ”WIN WIN” FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED !

  • Socio

    #187, not “socio-economic”, just “socio”. How many Yiddin living in poverty shoot and stab?

  • what a chutzpah!

    at 330 there was about 5000 ppl marching down albany from eastern parkway with music blowing horns etc… WITH A POLICE ESCORT!!!!!

  • IRU

    i think as jewish people we all have to think twice before judging.
    for some reason this seems to be our challenge.
    why I wonder.
    no matter…the point here is that the parade/? continues. that makes no sense. they are putting the policeman at risk for the sake of a party. if this is what happened last year and this year….why another is the obvious question.

  • Malichi

    To #18:
    It is morons like you that allow this animalistic behavior to continue. Keep making excuses for these savages. Is there this level of violence at the thanksgiving parade? The St patty’s day parade, etc… Etc…
    No, I’ll let everyone else decide what the underlying difference is between the attendees.

  • JUST ANOTHER LUBAB

    THE REBBE ALWAYS REGARDED ALL PEOPLE AS EQUALS. I WAS ASKED TO GIVE OUT SHEVA MITZVOHS FLYERS TO PEOPLE COMING TO THE PARADE AND HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM DOING SO. AND FOUND EVERYONE I SPOKE TO TO BE MOST POLITE AND CIVIL. JUDGE EACH PERSON FOR WHAT HE IS,

  • David Hompes

    Let’s bring this all in perspective:
    This svartze parade belongs in the Bronx Zoo or for better on the bottom of the ocean.
    Disgusting how these svartzes get away with their animalistic behavior. Maybe because of hypocritical political correct politicians and a #18?

  • community member

    Just for your information, there are two distinct Events. Last night at 2pm to about 7apm is Joovei. This centers around the bands. This is where most of the trouble above took place till now. It is 4:20pm, lets hope the REST OF THE DAY BSD, goes ok. As I write there is a huge “concert” with 8 ten feet speakers and with 600 or more people on my corner, two houses away, which is at the edge of our community but near yiddishe homes and a well known shul.

  • Mendy Hecht

    What they need to so is simply bring in the National Guard and anyone who moves the wrong way gets handcuffed and tossed into a paddy wagon. Just slap down the law good and hard. City’s too afraid to assert real good old fashioned law and order the way it used to be. Okay, maybe not the National Guard, but certainly a serious show of force that shows these animals (and yes, anyone who acts like that is an animal) that we mean business.

    By the way, why can’t they just cancel it? If Giuliani could shut down that crime boss’s free annual carnival, why can’t Bloomy shut this one down?

  • yellow dirt bike

    What color was the dirt bike? Did someone say yellow? Was Mendel Hendel driving it?

  • thank you

    i and my friend were in the middle of a shoot out 10 feet away from the shooter today during the parade walking home. i have never been so greatful and have a new meaning on life now.

  • LT

    how sad that because of their activites, they seem to have short life spans. They could have more rules and morals to their lives and live longer. They too have a purpose and they are missing out on so much.

  • DeClasse- Intellectual

    Bloomberg whould have made it clear to the community leaders of these groups involved in the prade, if they could not get their act together, there would not be a prade or celebration. How can the city officials allow this to even occurr after repeated demonstrations and proofs about what does occur??? And the concept of political correctness is worthless as an explination for their failures to run the city properly.

  • crownheights

    Thanks for letting us know we had sleeples night last night parting all night . May be tonight i will get a good night sleep.

  • To #21

    Your hate is typical of CH. If I’m not mistaken for a full month every year (tishrai) this place looks like a zoo. Your complaining about one night, we have police escorts every night of simchas bais from Montgomery to 770 at the wee hours of the morning.

  • You speak the truth

    To #18: Thank you so much for your comments. You said it perfectly and eloquently. We do not like to be stereotyped and we have no right to do so to others.

  • phlik

    I live in the area and went to both J’ouvert and the parade today and had no problems whatsoever. Weirdly, the parades felt even more subdued than usual and police presence was heavy and in some instances, well coordinated also (now much easier to cross the street, etc). I look forward to both events and like the neighborhood feel of having it in Brooklyn. I like the energy in the days leading up and the loud bass, too. It saddens me greatly to read about these acts of violence. Given the masses of people (upwards of two million) who converge in and around Crown Heights for the events, we’re obviously talking about a tiny fraction of people involved, but no matter what, there are far too many. If you are concerned about violence, it doesn’t seem to me that the answer is “move the parade to manhattan” (or elsewhere–why? so OTHER people can face violence?) I understand that people want to feel safe-me too!, but neither racism nor avoidance seem like the most responsible way to confront these issues. @18: thanks & respect. @23: read again-the dude shot indiscriminately, not the police (but police can and do shoot indiscriminately–consider the crazy shootout in Queens a couple years back).

  • helen

    A few bad apples spoil it for a lot of people that just want to come out and see a parade, and how could you say that we should stop the parade, it is only one day, what about when we dance in the streets on Empire and Kingston ave, on chol homed from 10pm to 6am.

  • To #19

    As if ANYONE in Manhattan (or any other borough for that matter) would want this insane shoot-fest in their area. They are all glad it’s in Brooklyn, and they want it to STAY in Brooklyn!!

    I know the Rebbe said that Crown Heights is a place of Brocho, but the reason escapes me. It was probably beautiful in 1940 and 1950, but now it’s turned into a real dump and slum area.

  • SCARY DAY!!

    I was not born in crown heights nor do I plan on continuing to live here much longer after today. I live on eastern parkway and had to spend the entire day witnessing the menace outside that for some reason was called a parade. I cannot believe the city allows a festivity to occur which will inevitably end in people being shot and fights breaking out on every corner.

    Crown Heights is a mess! I am out of here! I can live with raskins stinking up kingston but the way the danger permeated my every bone today was a direct sign to get out of here. I commend every Lubavitcher that is able to handle it and hope you all continue the battle to get the streets of crown heights cleaned up. I hate living in fear in the shechunah of the rebbe. I just want to not be scared to go to shul or walk somewhere at night.

    They might say we are racist but at least we dont make each other scared to go outside.

  • USE LOGIC

    To number 40: We do not dance in streets with guns and shoot each other! We do not beat each other up for looking the wrong way or saying the wrong thing!

    The havoc they created during the parade is in no way comparable to making noise until 6AM

    Are you serious!?

  • Let-s think about this...

    There is a LOT of racism and ignorant comments on this page…aside from comments on the violent actions in our neighborhood…these isolated, but not so isolated acts do not excuse the rampant racism we experience everyday here. Maybe you should be asking the question, “Why does this happen?”

  • response to 44 and all....

    aside from comments on the violent actions in our neighborhood…these isolated, but not so isolated acts do not excuse the rampant racism we experience everyday here.

    what does that sentence mean?

    as you can see from the news updates the violence seems pretty widespread across brooklyn. When more than 50 people get shot within a 48 hour period there is an issue.

    Additionally, I am tired of this “why does this happen argument”. Many other ethnic groups have experienced racism, hatred, expulsion and still found a way to make themselves stronger in all aspects of life. People in Brooklyn are stuck on this “lets live off of government benefits” culture. This happens because parents are not fit to be parents and education fails them. However, whatever the reason may be there is still no excuse for violence in AMerica. This is not libya, we live in a democracy.
    These people live like gang bangers because that is the people they choose to look up to. There is nothing racist about not liking gang bangers who are violent. Racism is baseless, this has plenty of reason behind it. I for one am tired of being scared to go outside. Its not fair to have to live this way because of troublemakers. I do not dislike any one race. I dislike Violence and anyone who affiliates with violence whether they be white orange green or purple.

  • #37

    go wash your mouth with soap!
    To compare a holy event to the desecration of life?
    To compare Happy music to gun shots and sirens and funerals?
    Are you mad?

  • al

    There are 3 million people that attend the labor day parade, and most of the people want to just come and see a parade and have fun, and that is in the afternoon, but when people dance in the street on Chol Hommed Succos all hours of the night till 7am and people have to get up to go to work, that is okay, I am not saying they shouldnt have a simch but I would think it should be only till 2am not all night till day break

  • Dismayed

    Regarding comments 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 24, 26, 29, 34, 41, 42, 43, 45, and 46: I’m all for freedom of speech and airing one’s opinion, but do you have to sound like such narrow and myopic numbskulls and bigots? Some of the comments that you’ve made are so off the charts that all you seem to be doing is amplifying hatred and discord for the inflation of your own self worth and self righteousness. If you are really so hard up in the self esteem department that the only response to tragedy in the “shvartzer” infested part of your “shchuna”is scorn and ridicule, then fine. But you are still human, are stuck in Brooklyn like the rest of us, and if you insist on reveling on throwing around separatist pabulum like this, keep in mind that you’re speaking out against the efforts of those who actually care about everyone in their respective neighborhoods and don’t want to see violence directed towards people because they come from different communities. As some of you know, things can get much, much worse! On the other hand, if posting smack is what you get off on, then natter away and shvartzers like myself will make sure to read through it all, word by word, just so we can better understand who you really are.

  • GET YUH MIND RIGHT SAYS THIS TRINI!!!

    OK…….if you want to speak about JOUVERT MORNING then fine but don’t add on to the mess that went on around brooklyn and say oh it was from jouvert, the bands had NO problems and the things that took place were far from it all, look @ the route the bands take and see what happened…I will tell you NOTHING, it is all the little punks making us masqueraders look bad!!! Fedd up of the nonsense!

  • Itsme

    Ugh, I was thinking of moving to Crown heights from the country in Georgia! So I could be in a Jewish community.. Now I’m way to scared! Why are Jewish communities only in inner cities??? Sucks!!!!

  • I dont get it

    I just don’t get why we continue to fight for this neighborhood. I know the Rebbe lived here, but are you really willing to sacrifice your precious kinderlach to random drug violence. It is only a matter of time before the innocent start getting shot. It is only a matter of time before whiteness start getting hurt. Things are getting far worse very fast, despite trying to hold on. Its so sad to see the neighborhood go down like this…