Brownsville Shooting: 1 Dead, 11 Hurt At 'Old Timers' Event

BROWNSVILLE, NY — One person is dead and 11 were hurt in a shooting during a party Saturday night in Brownsville, police said. Mayor Bill de Blasio called the shooting "tragic" in a news conference Sunday.

Twelve people were hit by gunfire during a peaceful, annual "Old Timers" event, said de Blasio. One person was killed and another was critically hurt.

"Something happened that should not happen," the mayor said.

De Blasio described the event as something that, up until Saturday night, had represented everything good about the Brownsville community.

"I want to make clear this tragedy does not define Brownsville," he said. "Does not define the people of Brownsville and does not define what's happening on the ground in a community that has worked so hard and come so far."

The shooting happened just as the event finished around 11 p.m. and people were cleaning up. More than 100 police officers were at the event when gunshots rang out. The shooting happened inside a playground of the Brownsville Recreational Center.

NYPD Assistant Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said seven men and five women between 21 and 55 years old were struck.

No arrests have been made. There were at least two shooters and two guns involved.

"We will find the suspects involved," de Blasio said. "They will be held responsible. I don't have a doubt in my mind."

The Old Timers event has been held since 1963. Assistant Chief Jeffrey Madrey said the annual event celebrates the people who live in the community.

"It celebrates the people who live here in Brownsville," he said. "People who lived here and left and want to come back and reconnect with friends and rebuild relationships, and it really celebrates the values of this community."

The event happens during the last weekend in July. The first day of the event, Friday, features a stage on Linden Boulevard. Performers with catalogs of music perform while people dance. The second day of the event, Saturday, happens on the Hegeman Avenue side. A stage is built where local performers and talent entertain the community.

About 5,000 people attended the first night.

Mike Kempa, of the detective's bureau, said the park remains an "active" crime scene. Ballistic evidence is being processed and video is being collected. Police are seeking photos or videos of the moments before, during and after the shooting.

"We need help from the community," he said.

Anyone with information should call 1800-577-TIPS.