Four people were stabbed in a street fight that erupted just before the start of Brooklyn’s J’Ouvert and West Indian American Day parades on Monday morning. Police say the altercation began around 5:45 a.m. on Carroll Street near Utica Avenue in Crown Heights, leaving three victims with non‑life‑threatening injuries and one man in critical condition.
Brooklyn police officers arrived on the scene within minutes and secured the area. Emergency medical crews treated the injured on site before transporting the critically wounded individual to a nearby hospital. The three other victims were taken to local medical facilities for observation and released after treatment.
Investigators are treating the incident as a homicide inquiry and are canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses. No arrests have been reported as of the time of writing. Police have not released any information about the identities of the participants or a possible motive.
The stabbing occurred moments before the scheduled kickoff of the J’Ouvert festivities, which mark the opening of the West Indian American Day parade, a major cultural event that draws thousands of participants and spectators each year. Despite the violence, parade organizers said the procession will proceed as planned, and city officials urged residents to avoid the immediate area while the investigation continues.
The clash unfolded at the corner of Carroll Street and Utica Avenue, a key intersection in Crown Heights that serves as a conduit for many residents heading to the day's events.
Authorities noted that the brawl broke out at about 5:45 a.m., only moments before the official commencement of the J’Ouvert celebration, the opening rite of the West Indian American Day parade.