5 people shot at J'Ouvert party in Brooklyn; Man, teen arrested

NEW YORK - It was a bloody start to Labor Day in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The NYPD said five people were shot in the area of Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street just before 3 a.m. They were at a cookout that was continuing overnight.

A 6-year-old boy was among the victims. Three men and a woman were also shot. All of the victims were expected to survive. The boy was released from the hospital on Monday night.

Police arrested two people on Monday; one is a 15-year-old. Charges are pending, police said.

Chief Terence Monahan tweeted that two guns were also recovered as part of the investigation.

The NYPD has a larger than normal police presence in Brooklyn due to violence that usually increases around the annual J'Ouvert festival and West Indian Day Parade.

Both events were celebrated virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. That didn't stop a large number of people being on the streets late Sunday night.

These shootings are part of a disturbing trend in the city this summer. Shootings in New York City are up 166% and murders are up 47% compared to August 2019.  Shootings and murders have risen dramatically for months across the city.