The heat makes people angry--and violent--and down at Brighton Beach on Thursday afternoon, a gunman shot five along the boardwalk, critically wounding one person and killing another. The area was especially crowded today because it was "Brooklyn-Queens Day," and hundreds of kids were in the area celebrating their day off from school. At least one witness on the scene believes it was gang-related. "I think some gang things were happening because we heard some shots one hour earlier,” said Saya Suzuki, who was at the scene with her daughter. Pat Singer, president of the Brighton Beach Neighborhood Association seemed to agree. "These kids come not to swim, they come for turf fights," he said.
Patrons of the restaurants lining the Brighton Beach boardwalk at Brighton 6th Street were unexpectedly treated to a macabre show, as a gunman opened fire just feet away from the outdoor seating, leaving five people wounded or worse.
Witnesses to the shooting said that a man was walking along the crowded boardwalk around 5:30 p.m., when he suddenly opened fire on a group of people near the benches. One witness said seven shots were fired – four shots first, then three more – and at least three people appeared seriously wounded. Police are reporting that five people in all were injured.
Media reports say that at least two people are in critical condition – a man and a woman.
Another witness at the scene told Sheepshead Bites that a police foot patrol was passing by at that moment. Police took cover in Tatiana Restaurant, and the gunman ran off – along with hundreds on the boardwalk.
Adding to the mayhem and confusion was the unusually large crowd. Today is Brooklyn/Queens Day, so many students off from school hit the beaches.
The gunman is still believed to be at large, and police are closing off streets between the boardwalk and Brighton Beach Avenue, and Brighton 6th Street.
