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CBS NY

Shootings, Stabbing Reported at Labor Day Parade

The Labor Day/West Indian Day Parade in Crown Heights has been marred by violence again, as police were investigating multiple shootings and a stabbing near the route before the parade even began Monday.

At least two people have been shot, and a police officer suffered minor injuries making an arrest, officials said. A man was shot in the leg and a woman was grazed in the head, but both are expected to survive, officials said. A slashing victim also suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A brawl also was reported.

The violence occurred despite a beefed-up police presence.

Shootings and stabbings are nothing new at the parade. Last year, two people were stabbed to death, and two others were shot. In 2011, two police officers were injured by gunfire.

“I don’t understand it myself,” paradegoer Trevor Martin told CBS. “I’ve been doing this over 40 years, and this is unbelievable, the violence.”

Said another reveler: “You can be out here enjoying yourself, but you’ve always got to look over your shoulder,” he said. “Every second you walk.”

Although the parade did not begin until 11 a.m., celebrations were going on through the night for the 46th annual parade.

The parade, which runs on Eastern Parkway from Schenectady Avenue to Grand Army Plaza, is the culmination of a five-day festival. Close to one million revelers are estimated to be in attendance this year.

Paradegoers said the event is not just about having fun, but remembering their roots.

“Reggae music, community, and we know where we came from, and we’re happy where we’re at,,” one reveler told CBS.

Paradegoers celebrate Caribbean culture — music, costumes and food.

“I’m thinking about some corn soup, some jerk chicken. I’ve got my mind on it,” a woman told Jiang.

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26 Comments

  • Reevaluation

    I don’t understand why the parade continues to go on, year after year with the violence that occurs each time. Do these people not vaue human life? What is going on here? If this was any other group, this would be all over the media….

  • declasse' intelelctual

    Put the parade downtown in front of the mayor’s office and the offices of all the other offici9las. We do not need the disruption nor do we all the accompanying c rime. Let them shoot each other in front of the mayor’s office. This event is an invitation for crime and other non-wanted activities to emerge.

  • Mind on it

    “I’m thinking about some corn soup, some jerk chicken. I’ve got my mind on it,” a woman told Jiang.

    How antithetical to everything Hassidud stands for. Its almost comical that in the place of the highest kidusha, the lowest level of klipa come to march and strut its style.

  • This NEEDS to stop!!!!

    When will the shooting stop? 2 years ago (on labor day), i was caught in the middle of 2 shootouts. The first shootout i was under a car, on the ground praying the bullets wouldn’t hit me. The second shootout, some african-american man pushed me onto the ground and blocked me (i had no idea where the gunman was). The shootings NEED to stop!!!! This is ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

    “we know where we came from, and we’re happy where we’re at” They should know not only from where they came but also to where they are heading, and before Whom they will give an accounting. No one should be happy where they are at-they should always rise higher (in avodas Hashem).

  • Joe

    Why do we never hear about shootings, stabbings and brawls at the Thanksgiving Day Parade or Patrick’s Day Parade or any of the other parades this city hosts every year?

  • Don't Worry

    Soon Brooklyn will be a hipster Utopia devoid of all the criminal element that infect it. The only thing you will have to worry about is no-pants day and the other disgusting things hipsters do, but at least it will be safe.

  • Pride of this???

    These people are such low class nothings, excuse my racism. When interviewed to be quoted, all they have to say is that they want some corn soup and jerk chicken? That’s they’re greatest excitement?

    And they have a parade of Caribbean pride-by walking around naked. That’s pride? Celebration by violence? If they really want to have an enjoyable parade, why do they always have to look over their shoulder? That they aren’t safe among their own people…

    This parade is nothing to be proud of. They should be cowering in shame about the way they behave, not proudly prancing down the street.

    • Nicolette

      This is all these people have to strut their cultures since it was taken away from them back in slavery. Leave them alone it’s not even all African Americans and yet you refer to all as low lives don’t excuse your racism if you’re still being racist. Act with some dignity about the way you call these people out. If they’re excited bout some chicken and corn let them be because back then they were eating left over scraps so hold your tongue.

  • disgrace

    The parade is a violent and dangerous event blame the nypd for stop and frisk and then you can blame them for people being shot to death in broad daylight on eastern parkway and all over east new york all year long its only going to get worse don’t worry christine quinn you won’t feel any of the affects in your neighborhood

  • Nana

    Good thing I never go I went two yrs ago and they was a lot of shooting so this is why I stay home

  • Don't Worry

    Moshiach will be here any second and you will all live in Israel and not have to worry about Labor day violence, noise and blocked streets (or hipsters with no pants and G-d forbid bike lanes.) =)

  • BrooklynBoy

    All u people need to shut the hell up. If u dont like the parade, move to 2 manhattan or Jersey. The parade is an excellent cultural event. If u have ever visited one of the islands we represent, then u would know why we are so proud… If more than a million people are in attendance how can u not expect a few to act up? Im pretty sure its the african americans doing the shootings not actually the Caribbean people who really want to celebrate family and life. Stop being ignorant for once white people smh

  • Trevor Martin??

    “I’ve been doing this over 40 years, and this is unbelievable, the violence.”

    ask you cuz trayvon about violence

  • 90NN

    All this parade does is bring out more violence out of these “carribian people” because it gives them freedom to get drunk in public and act like complete animals with no regard for the law. Kinda weird that this is the only parade which has such a large turn out that isn’t held in manhattan.

  • Excuse Me, BrooklynBoy

    I believe in being proud of your culture, but there is a MAJOR difference between pride in your culture and causing danger to everyone around you. guns should be outlawed at the parade.

    You know, the Jews in Crown Heights have a parade every time the holiday of Lag Baomer falls out on a Sunday. Not only that, but during the holiday of Sukkot, they have, well, you can call it a block party or parade or whatever, every single night of the intermediate days, from 10pm-6am. never, but NEVER have I heard of a single act of violence, shooting, stabbing or anything of the sort after it’s over. And trust me, I am sure the men get a bit tipsy.

    I support the concept of the Labor Day Parade, but guns should not be permitted at the parade. The end, that’s all there is to it. So please, keep your anti-white comments to yourself and just understand that we don’t want to get caught in your acts of stupidity.

    • Boo Hoo

      Guns were never permitted in NYC Parades. Possession on a firearm without a permit (which is next to impossible to get) is illegal.
      The City Council has made it easy to sue the Police so there will be less cops willing to stop a person “possibly” in possession of a concealed firearm. So we will have to wait and see how that plays out.
      As long as there is a West Indian Day parade, there will always be violence associated with it. Violence has been a stigma behind this parade since its inception, nothing you do or type online will change that. So Enjoy…… In the meantime maybe open a seasonal funeral home or flower shop that also prints pictures of the deceased shooting /stabbing victims onto T-shirts. It will be a hit.
      I only feel bad for the innocent lives lost, but in the end it becomes a race issue and by Christmas, all is forgotten.

  • Does it matter

    To all you bigots, how many west Indian people do you know personally? Every race has bad apples….. Africans, Europeans, Asians, Americans, ALL.. And shame on these so called Jews to type such words but in the mean time your people treat Palestinians and Ethiopian Jews like dog feces. What gives you the right to look down on any person? Just discusting

  • in the end

    It dosent matter if your black white or whatever during the weekend of juvae and the parade on monday people are killed because of a celebration of culture and this city is to liberal to put a stop to it people losing their lives aren’t worth a couple days of celebration it will continue to go on and hopefully only the mutts who come out to settle beefs and start shit to prove their image will be the only ones to get killed but innocent people will too if this was my national parade I would be embarresed and stay far away at least keep young kids away if they grow up seeing this and think its normal they’ll be the next generation behind the trigger at the west indian day parade NO OTHER PARADE IN THIS CITY is anywhere close to this travesty

  • Jamal

    Alot of times the same garbage happens with other parades, look at the puerto rican day parade. Alot of times these people that cause the violence of the parades arent even part of, or the same ethnic groups of the parade, think about it, most of the time any parade is full of low lifes who having nothing better to do and drunk kids.

    Simple Ban all parades that result in violence, just end em all one by one

    Arrest people for drinking.

    Raise the fee’s of the parades so they have to pay to have the police there.

    Whats the point of a violence fest. ruins it for everyone

  • Really?

    I’m Jewish and I live in crown heights. And I hate the parade on Kingston avenue (simchas beis ha shoeva) during choll ha Moed.
    People leave a sea of garbage in the streets
    Teenagers hang out like morons and have an excuse to get drunk

    It’s disgraceful and embarrassing

    It’s not Jewish behavior (or any type of culturally moral behavior)
    It just gives Jewish people the right to do everything else that happens during the West Indian parade except there aren’t millions of Jews there and they don’t wear wild immodest costumes. But the same idiotic behavior occurs.

    In case you don’t believe me:
    http://crownheights.info/communal-matters/13879/2-nights-of-simchas-beis-hashuaiva-marred-by-fanatics-and-violence/

    I think that we as Jews need to stop hating everyone and grow up already.