Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert and West Indian American Day parades kicked off in bloody fashion early Monday morning after four people were stabbed, leaving one fighting for his life.
Photo by Dean Moses
Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert and West Indian American Day parades kicked off in bloody fashion early Monday morning after four people were stabbed, leaving one fighting for his life.
According to police sources, it all unfolded at around 5:45 a.m. on Carroll Street and Utica Avenue in Crown Heights, just thirty minutes before J’Ouvert celebrations were scheduled to get underway. Cops from the 71st Precinct responded to a 911 call of a massive brawl and, upon arrival, discovered three men with stab wounds.
A 36-year-old man suffered a puncture wound to his face, while a 32-year-old and a 23-year-old were stabbed in the neck. All three were rushed to Kings County Hospital, where the 32-year-old is reportedly in critical condition. Another victim, a 20-year-old man with a slash wound was also injured and made his own way to Kings County Hospital, where he is expected to recover.
Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert and West Indian American Day parades kicked off in bloody fashion early Monday morning after four people were stabbed, leaving one fighting for his life.Photo by Dean Moses
This comes after Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said last week that police would be ending the festivities a half hour earlier than usual in hopes of curbing the bloodshed. The celebrations of Caribbean New Yorkers have become notoriously dangerous over the years, due to an influx of violence in and around the parade.
“Over the past two years, we have seen shootings on and around the parade route, endangering innocent people and overshadowing this incredible tradition,” Tisch said on Friday regarding the early conclusion. “That end time is deliberate, given the history of violence we have seen on and around the parade route at that hour and later.”
In 2025, six people were shot around the parade, causing police to ultimately end the parade early.
No arrests have been made in this latest stabbing.
Anyone with information regarding the incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.