On New Year’s Day, a large-scale shooting incident occurred in the Queens area of New York City, according to police reports. A group of men opened fire on a crowd outside a nightclub, resulting in at least 10 people being injured. As of now, there have been no reports of any fatalities.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) shared information on the press conference held on social media platform X, where NYPD Patrol Chief Philip Rivera stated that they received multiple calls about the attack and dispatched officers to the scene at 144th Place at 11:18 p.m. on Wednesday, January 1.
The shooting took place outside a private event venue where around 90 people were attending a private function upstairs. Rivera mentioned that about 15 more people were waiting outside in line to enter when 3 to 4 male suspects started firing at the crowd.
Local media reports indicate that the nightclub where the incident occurred is called Amazura.
The suspects later fled westbound towards 91st Avenue, and reportedly got into a light-colored sedan with out-of-state plates at 143rd Place, as mentioned by Rivera.
Investigators believe that the suspects fired over 30 rounds at the crowd. However, Rivera stated that detectives are still processing ballistic evidence to determine the exact number of shots fired.
Of the 10 injured individuals in the shooting, 6 were female and 4 were male. Rivera mentioned that these victims, aged between 16 and 20, are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
Rivera pointed out that this shooting incident is not considered a terrorist attack, and detectives are looking into whether there are any gang affiliations related to this case.
Rivera added that all the victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
During a brief press conference held at the scene, Rivera stated, “We will not tolerate such senseless gun violence and street violence. The perpetrators of this crime will be apprehended and brought to justice.”