During a private memorial event on Wednesday night, January 1, 2025, ten individuals, predominantly teenagers, suffered injuries when unknown assailants fired shots outside the Amazura Concert Hall in Jamaica, Queens, New York City.
The injured, whose ages ranged from 16 to 20 years old, were part of a crowd outside the concert hall when three or four men approached and fired around 30 rounds.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated, “A memorial for a teen lost to gun violence turned to horror when gunmen opened fire on the crowd.”
Philip Rivera, New York Police Department Chief of Patrol, informed in a press conference early Thursday that the shooting occurred around 11:20 p.m. during a private memorial gathering inside the venue. The event, attended by nearly 90 people, was held in memory of a 16-year-old, Taearion Mungo, who was fatally shot in Brooklyn last October. About 15 people were outside the venue when the shooting started.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officials reported that the victims, comprising six females and four males, were rushed to nearby hospitals, including Long Island Jewish Hospital and Cohen Children’s Medical Center. None of the injuries were life-threatening, and all victims are expected to make a full recovery.
The venue responded to the shooting, labeling it a “senseless act” and pledged to work closely with law enforcement to ensure a comprehensive investigation.
The police are on the lookout for a gray Infiniti Q50 with a red interior and New Jersey license plates, which is believed to have been used as the escape vehicle. Security camera footage shows four individuals running toward the venue and then scampering away shortly after the gunfire.
While the authorities are probing potential gang links to the incident, they have clarified it was not an act of terrorism. The NYPD is actively following leads and has sought public help in identifying the perpetrators.
The Amazura Concert Hall, a venue that can accommodate up to 4,000 guests and frequently hosts DJs and live performances, has been cooperating fully with the investigation.
Chief Rivera urged the community to provide any additional information about the incident, noting the private gathering was crowded.
The onset of the New Year in New York City was marred by violence, with two fatalities and eight individuals sustaining injuries due to a series of slashings, stabbings, and two separate shooting incidents, as reported by law enforcement.
The first murder of 2025 involved a man in his fifties who was found with a neck injury around 4:20 a.m. at the junction of West 137th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, New York City. He was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police sources. A 39-year-old man, considered a person of interest, has been detained for questioning.
The second homicide occurred approximately an hour later when 46-year-old Mario Fowler was killed and a 23-year-old man was wounded outside an apartment building near Clay Avenue in the Claremont Village area of the Bronx, as per police reports.
Fowler, who was shot in both legs, managed to get to his building down the street, where emergency services were alerted. He was transported to St Barnabas Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The younger victim was found nearby with a minor chin wound.
Both men were shot when an unidentified gunman opened fire on a group gathered outside the building. Whether either man was a specific target remains unclear. No arrests have been made in connection with the fatal shooting.
In a previous incident on December 30, 2024, two gunmen opened fire inside a convenience store on White Plains Road in the Bronx, New York City, injuring six people, including a mother and her 12-year-old daughter who was used as a human shield by one of the intended targets. All victims are expected to survive. The shooters escaped on foot, and no arrests have been reported.
On December 5, 2024, gunfire erupted from a car at the intersection of Classon Avenue and Fulton Street in Brooklyn, New York City around 2:57 p.m. Information about injuries or arrests has not been disclosed, and the investigation is ongoing.
These incidents underline the ongoing issue of gun violence in New York City, inciting calls for intensified law enforcement efforts and community interventions to address the root causes.
