Gang-Related Mass Shooting In Brooklyn Sparks Retaliation Concerns

BROOKLYN, NY — Three people were killed and nine others wounded in a gang-related mass shooting in Brooklyn early Sunday — a burst of violence in a year of record-low shootings across the city.

Investigators believe up to four shooters opened fire with multiple weapons outside Taste of the City Lounge at 903 Franklin Ave. in Crown Heights, following a dispute just before 3:30 a.m. The violence appeared to be gang-related, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Three men were killed in the gunfire. Marvin St. Louis, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene, while Amadou Diallo, 27, and Jamel Childs, 35, were critically injured and later died at the hospital.

The remaining nine victims are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at nearby hospitals, officials said.

The shooting has prompted concerns of further violence, with officials warning of possible retaliation.

During a press conference after the shooting, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city’s crisis management teams were deployed to assist victims' families and work to prevent retaliatory violence.

“We’re always concerned after a shooting,” Adams said. “Retaliatory shootings will follow if we don’t get on the ground with our crisis management team and other partners.”

Adams called on the public to come forward with any information, urging them to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers line at 800-577-TIPS.

Officials said this is the second mass shooting in New York City in recent weeks, despite an overall decline in gun violence this year. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted that roughly 60 percent of all shootings are gang-related, highlighting a critical need for community-driven prevention strategies.

"We really see gangs driving so much of the violence in New York City and a lot of our work in bringing the shooting numbers down so far this year has been because of our relentless focus on guns and gangs," Tisch said.

"Anytime we have gang violence, we always immediately think about retaliation and how we plan for that,"

AT Mitchell-Mann, founder of Man Up! Inc., a social service agency focused on violence prevention and intervention, spoke to the outrage that senseless violence like this causes, calling it yet another painful reminder of the urgent need for community intervention. He added that hospital responders are currently on-site assisting families, while men and women who serve as violence interrupters are actively working to prevent any retaliation.

“Mass shootings require mass resources,” Mitchell-Mann said.