A violent gang dispute led to a mass shooting inside a Brooklyn nightclub early Sunday, killing three men and injuring nine others, police said.
The gunfire broke out around 3:30 a.m. inside the Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Ave. near Carroll St. in Crown Heights. Investigators believe two of the dead men were among the shooters, while the third victim was likely an innocent bystander.
“We believe that there were up to four shooters involved in this incident,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch during a press briefing at City Hall. “Shell casings from multiple guns, including 9mm and .45-caliber weapons, have been recovered.”
Chaos Inside the Club
Clubgoer Marie Desir, 40, described the terrifying moment the shots rang out.
“I heard a few gunshots and then saw people on the floor, running, trying to save their lives,” she said. Desir dropped to the ground and crawled toward the exit to escape.
Hours later, she was reunited with her friend, Guerby Tida, 32, who went missing in the chaos but later returned for his car. “I’m OK. Thank God everything’s good,” he told her.
Victims and Investigation
According to police sources, one of the dead was 35-year-old Jamel Andre Childs, who had tried to calm tensions before being shot. A 19-year-old man, also believed to be one of the shooters, died at the scene. A 27-year-old man who died at the hospital is thought to have been a bystander.
Nine others — six men and three women, ages 27 to 61 — were hospitalized but are expected to survive.
Police recovered at least 42 shell casings and found a firearm near Bedford Ave. and Eastern Parkway that may be linked to the attack. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage, but no arrests have been made.
“This was a tragic, senseless act of violence,” Tisch said. “The club had bouncers, and we are working to identify and interview them.”
A Troubled Location
This is not the first time violence has erupted at the club. Last November, a 28-year-old man was shot outside the same venue after an argument. Police are still looking for the suspect from that case.
Rajawn Philips, who works at a nearby smoke shop, said the club has long had issues. “Every night it’s some type of altercation,” he said. “So I’m surprised three people died there, but I’m also not surprised. This is not new. It’s the normal.”
City Leaders Respond
Mayor Eric Adams, who visited the scene, warned that shootings tied to gang disputes often lead to revenge attacks. He also criticized what he called a “revolving-door criminal justice system” that allows armed offenders back on the streets.
“This is the second [mass shooting] within weeks, and we don’t want this to become the new normal,” Adams said.
The shooting follows another tragedy on July 28, when a gunman opened fire with an assault rifle in a Midtown skyscraper, killing an NYPD officer and three others before turning the gun on himself.
Crime Numbers Show Drop
Despite the recent violence, city officials noted that shootings and murders have dropped significantly this year. Murders are down 24% and shootings 21% compared with the same period in 2024.
“We have the lowest number of shootings on record for the first seven months of the year,” Tisch said. “What happened today is an anomaly, but we will investigate and find out exactly what occurred.”
