Teen Charged In J'Ouvert Shooting Held Without Bail, DA Says

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A teenage boy who was charged with the early morning Labor Day shooting that injured six people at an unofficial J'Ouvert celebration will be held without bail, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Donovan Bailey — who recently turned 16 and is being charged as an adult — was arraigned Tuesday on a 16-count indictment of weapons, assault and attempted murder charges for the shooting, according to prosecutors. A judge ordered that he be held without bail until his next court date in November.

Bailey is accused of opening fire around 2:44 a.m. on a crowd at Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street, who had gathered to celebrate after the official J'Ouvert parade was cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis.

Six people, including a 7-year-old boy, were hurt in the shooting.

“This defendant allegedly opened fire into a crowd, disrupting a community celebration while showing complete disregard for the devastation he might cause," District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. "It is fortunate that no one was killed as a result of his senseless actions."

Bailey, a week shy of his 16th birthday, can be seen walking with the procession of revelers for a few blocks before shooting into the crowd, prosecutors said.

The bullets hit two people in their foot and four people in their legs, including the 7-year-old boy, who was critically injured with a broken femur, prosecutors said. All six were rushed to the hospital.

After the shooting, Bailey got into a silver car, which had pulled up minutes before, and is dropped off a block away, according to the surveillance video.

Cops picked him up standing on the street corner just minutes later. A pistol that was later matched to shell casings from the shooting was found in his fanny pack, prosectors said.

The shooting came after the city sent hundreds of police to patrol the streets of Brooklyn over the holiday weekend to ensure that New Yorkers were following social distancing guidelines and also prevent what has been an ongoing surge in gun violence in the borough and the city.

The official J'Ouvert festival and popular West Indian Day Parade had both been cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.

Bailey is scheduled to appear in court next on Nov. 17.