Three people were killed and another nine were injured in an overnight shooting involving multiple gunmen at a Brooklyn nightclub, police said Sunday.
The shooting took place at the Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference.
Calls came in reporting a shooting at the lounge at 3:27 a.m., and officers were on the scene in minutes, Tisch said.
“What we know preliminarily is that there was a dispute inside the crowded club that led to the shooting,” Tisch told reporters. “We believe that there were up to four shooters involved in this incident.”
No suspects are in custody, and city officials urged the public to come forward with any information related to the shooting. It is believed to be a gang-related, Tisch said.
Police said they recovered 42 shell casings from the scene, from 9 mm and .45-caliber guns, according to the commissioner. A firearm was recovered in the vicinity, but it is not yet clear if it was used in the incident.
Those killed were three men ages 19, 27 and 35, Tisch said. The injured were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, she said.
“It’s a terrible thing that happened this morning, and we’re going to investigate to determine what went down,” Tisch said.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed concern that there could be retaliatory attacks following the shooting. Crisis management teams have been mobilized in the community, he added.
“Gun violence of this magnitude, it really scars a community and a city,” Adams said.
Adams, who is campaigning for re-election, appeared at the shooting site Sunday afternoon and spoke to reporters about preventing “the flow of guns” into New York City. City, state and federal officials must focus on getting guns off the streets, Adams said.
Taste of the City Lounge said on its Instagram story that it was “devastated” by the shooting and that it was keeping the injured and the families of the deceased in its prayers.
“The safety and well-being of our guests and community has always been our top priority,” the lounge said. “We are working closely with law enforcement and will continue to fully cooperate as the investigation moves forward.”
