July 6, 2026 BROOKLYN, THE BRONX, QUEENS, NY What was supposed to be a night of celebration, fireworks, and family traditions quickly spiraled into a scene of sheer terror. Independence Day weekend gave way to an explosion of violence across New York City, leaving 12 people shot across three boroughs in a matter of hours.

The most sickening attack occurred in Brooklyn, where a peaceful holiday gathering became the target of a ruthless, calculated ambush that left four children bleeding in a courtyard.

Here is everything we know about the holiday weekend violence that has gripped the city.

The Coney Island Bloodbath: Kids Shot at a Family Cookout

Just before 10:40 p.m. on July 4, families were gathered in the front courtyard of 2929 West 31st Street in Coney Island, enjoying a holiday barbecue.

Without warning, the celebration turned into a war zone.

According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, an unidentified male shooter clad in all-black clothing and wearing a ski mask walked directly up to the fence line. He raised a weapon and unleashed a hail of bullets directly into the crowd of families and children.

"There is no indication at this time that there was any argument or altercation at the barbecue before the shooting occurred," Commissioner Tisch stated, describing a completely unprovoked attack.

The shooter fled the scene on foot, leaving behind absolute carnage. Cops rushing to the scene discovered eight people wounded by gunfire, including four young boys:

• A 6-year-old boy shot in the abdomen

• A 7-year-old boy shot in both legs

• A 12-year-old boy shot in the leg

• A 14-year-old boy struck in the thigh

Four adults were also hit, including a 21-year-old woman who is currently fighting for her life in critical condition. On the blood-stained pavement, investigators recovered at least ten shell casings and a firearm equipped with an extended magazine.

Police are urgently investigating whether this ambush is connected to a gang-related homicide that occurred on the exact same block just last week.

A Trail of Blood Across the Boroughs

The horror in Coney Island was only one piece of a violent puzzle that stretched across New York on July 4 and 5. As fireworks crackled in the sky, gunshots rang out in Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan:

• Jamaica, Queens (9:33 p.m.): Cops responding to an assault on 89th Avenue found one man suffering from a gunshot wound and a 19-year-old man with a severe slash wound to his face. The gunshot victim remains in critical but stable condition.

• The Bronx (10:38 p.m.): A 32-year-old man was shot and wounded near Grand Concourse and East Mount Eden Avenue.

• East Harlem (11:15 p.m.): A 15-year-old teenager was shot multiple times at an apartment building on Madison Avenue. Officers had to rush him to the hospital in the back of their police cruiser. He is expected to survive.

• The Bronx (1:42 a.m., July 5): A 34-year-old man walked into Lincoln Hospital under his own power after being shot at an undisclosed location.