Police say one person is dead after shooting at West Indian Day Parade in New York City

A gunman opened fire on a crowd along the route of the annual West Indian American Day Parade in New York City, killing one man and wounding four others, police said.

The incident, which police described as a “premeditated act,” occurred around 2:30 p.m. Monday when a man fired into the crowd gathered to watch the parade in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, said John Chell, chief of patrol for the New York Police Department.

Officials said the shooter, believed to be in his 20s, was targeting a specific group of people.

Five people were hit, including a 69-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy, police said in an emailed statement. The victims were taken to area hospitals. A 25-year-old man who was shot in the stomach later died, police said. The four other victims were in stable condition Tuesday.

“No one is currently in custody and the investigation is ongoing,” police said.

The parade, which was also attended by New York Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, continued after the shooting. Adams said in a statement on X that “the shooter turned the celebration into a tragedy when he senselessly fired into the crowd.”

“While Roger Archibald, President of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, and I keep the victims and their families in our prayers as they fight to recover, we know we must do more to combat gun violence and ensure the safety of all New Yorkers and visitors,” Adams said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also attended the event and released a statement on X about the incident.

“I am saddened and disturbed by the horrific shooting that occurred as we marched together in the West Indian Day Festival and Parade in Brooklyn,” he said. “Thank you to our first responders on the scene. I am praying for everyone affected. We must continue to work to end gun violence in America.”

The festival is the largest celebration of Caribbean culture in the city, attracting several thousand people each year. The parade, which runs nearly two miles down Eastern Parkway, is the highlight of New York Caribbean Carnival Week and is preceded by several days of festivals and soca and steelpan performances.

The event has been marred by violence before. In 2016, two people were shot during J'Ouvert, the early-morning festivities that begin hours before the annual parade begins. The year before, an aide to then-Governor Andrew Cuomo was fatally shot during J'Ouvert. In 2014, one man was shot and two others were injured during pre-parade festivities.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gunman shoots into crowd, kills 1, injures 4 at New York parade