Cops Searching for Masked Madman Who Shot 8 People at Fourth of July BBQ

New York City cops have launched a manhunt to find a gunman who shot eight people at a Fourth of July barbecue, CNN reported on Sunday afternoon.

The shooting happened in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino reported. Half of the victims were children and ranged from 6 to 14-years-old.

“They say that a man approached and just opened fire. Police said there was not an argument or anything known before the gunman opened fire,” Pazmino reported. “They also do not know if there’s any connection between this gunman and the people who were gathered there.”

There are not many details on the shooter, beyond that he was wearing a black ski mask. Pazmino reported seven of the eight victims are in stable condition, while a 21-year-old female victim is in critical condition after being shot in the chest.

“Police did recover a firearm at the scene and they are continuing to investigate,” Pazmino added. “One thing police said earlier today was that last week there was a gang-related homicide that happened in the same block where the shooting took place last night, and police are investigating if there is any sort of connection.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) said at a news conference on Sunday, “There is no place for this kind of violence in our city. We will not tolerate it. We will fight it with every single tool at our disposal.”

His comments come a few days after Mamdani agreed to a $125.8 billion budget that blocks the NewYork Police Department from hiring more cops.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that a family barbecue was taking place in the courtyard when an unknown male dressed in all black and wearing a black ski mask approached the fence line along Surf Avenue and fired multiple rounds into the courtyard,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the same press conference.

Watch above via CNN.

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