Masked Gunman OPENS Fire On Kids!

Eight people were shot at a Fourth of July cookout near Coney Island beach, and four of them were children.

Quick Take

Police said the shooting happened during a family barbecue in a courtyard near Surf Avenue and the Coney Island boardwalk.
Authorities said eight people were wounded, including children ages 6, 7, 12, and 14.
Investigators said a masked man in black fired into the crowd, then ran away on foot.
Police are still looking for the gunman and have not confirmed a motive.

What Police Said Happened

The shooting unfolded late Saturday night, when a family gathering turned into a scene of panic in a Brooklyn courtyard. Police said officers responded around 10:35 p.m. near West 30th Street and Surf Avenue after gunfire ripped through the cookout space. When they arrived, they found eight victims, including a 21-year-old woman in critical condition and four children with gunshot wounds.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect wore all black and a black ski mask, approached the fence line alone, and fired multiple rounds into the courtyard. Officers recovered a TEC-9-style weapon with an extended magazine and 10 shell casings from the scene, which gave investigators a clearer picture of how fast the attack happened and how much firepower was used.

Why This Shooting Drew So Much Attention

The child victims made this case explode beyond a local crime story. The injured children were 6, 7, 12, and 14 years old, and police said seven of the eight victims were not likely to die. That mix of young victims, a crowded holiday setting, and a shooting at a family barbecue gave the case an ugly symbolism that most New Yorkers can grasp instantly: nowhere feels fully safe when children are caught in the blast radius.

At the same time, the investigation is still open. Police have not identified or arrested a suspect, and they have not confirmed a motive. Investigators are looking at whether the attack connects to a gang-related homicide on the same block earlier in the week, but officials have framed that as a possible link, not a proven one.

What Remains Unsettled

The hardest part of this case is the gap between what police know and what they still cannot prove. The basic facts are solid: eight people were shot, four of them children, at a cookout near the Coney Island boardwalk. But the bigger questions still hang in the air. Was the shooter aiming at someone specific, or did he fire into a crowded family event for another reason? Police have not said.

NEW YORK (AP) — A shooting at a Fourth of July cookout near New York’s Coney Island beach wounded eight people, including four children, police said. One of the victims, a 21-year-old woman, was in critical condition while the… https://t.co/BwyWYi2n8I

— Hartford Courant (@hartfordcourant) July 5, 2026

That uncertainty matters because early reports can wobble. One local report initially gave a lower injury count, while later reporting settled on eight wounded. In fast-moving shootings, that kind of confusion is common, but it also shows why the first story is not always the final story. The public wants certainty right away. Investigators usually need time, witnesses, video, and ballistics before they can say much more with confidence.