J’Ouvert Latest: Parade In NYC Takes Deadly Turn as 2 Dead, 5 Injured; Female Victim ID'd

CROWN HEIGHTS, NY — Brooklyn's annual J’Ouvert celebrations took a deadly turn Monday morning when a man and woman were killed and five others injured in shootings and stabbings prior to the West Indian Day Parade, just one year after a shooting at the same parade killed an aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

This year's bloodshed began at Empire Boulevard and Flatbush Avenue when a man and woman were shot before the parade around 4 a.m., according to police. The 17-year-old man was shot in the chest and died, but the woman was in stable condition, police said. A short while later, a woman was shot in the head at Empire Boulevard and Washington Avenue. She also died from her injuries, police said.

At 1:10 p.m., the NYPD identified the slain woman as Tiarah Poyau, 22, of the 490 block of Linwood Street, Brooklyn.

"Upon arrival, police observed a 22-year-old female with a gunshot wound to the face," NYPD said in a press release. "EMS also responded and transported the female to Kings County Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. There are no arrests at this time and the investigation is ongoing."

A 72-year-old woman was struck in the arm by a stray bullet while she fled the deadly shooting at Empire Boulevard and Washington Avenue, police said. She was taken to Kings County Hospital in stable condition.

And in a separate incident, at 6:50 a.m., police said a 20-year-old man was shot in the leg at Rogers and Clarkson avenues. He is in stable condition.

In total, there were four incidents with five people being struck by gunfire, police said.

More than a million attendees were expected for this year's event.

The bloodshed at the annual West Indian heritage event occurred despite a doubling of the New York City Police Department presence on the scene.

Also, around 5 a.m., a woman was stabbed near Ocean Avenue and Empire Boulevard. She refused medical attention, police said.

Another stabbing was reported at Eastern Parkway and Classon Avenue, NBC reported. In that case, a person was stabbed in the neck and was last listed in serious condition.

"The NYPD did an extraordinary job last evening," Mayor Bill De Blasio told reporters Monday morning, "and we know the NYPD will identify the few responsible for the violence."

De Blasio, asked if the violence-marred parade would be canceled moving forward, would not rule that out.

“I’m not going to go into detail until we do a full review," he said. “Just making a broad, strategic statement, all options are on the table. But we’re going to look at the whole situation with the NYPD and community.”

Last year, Cuomo aide Carey Gabay died after being shot in the head during J’Ouvert celebrations.

Investigations into the first two shootings Monday delayed the start of the J’Ouvert parade. Security was beefed up in advance of the parade following two fatalities in 2015, including Gabay, 43, an attorney who once worked for Cuomo’s administration. Gabay was struck and killed by a stray bullet outside the Ebbets Field apartments last year.

Shootings and stabbings weren’t the only serious injuries reported in Monday’s parade. Two people were also injured when their motorcycle was struck by a car around 5:20 a.m., NBC said. Both were taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

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