Caribbean-American Legislators Express Outrage and Sadness Over Mass Shooting in Crown Heights

NEW YORK, New York – Caribbean-American legislators have expressed outrage and sadness over a mass shooting at a Caribbean restaurant in the Caribbean community in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn over the last weekend.

Police said that the mass shooting took place on Sunday at the Taste of the City Bar & Lounge at 903 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights and that three people were killed and 14 others wounded in what appeared to be a gang-related shooting.

Police said they are looking for two suspects but disclosed that no arrests are yet to be made.

Those killed were Marvin St. Louis, 19, Amadou Diallo, 27, and Jamel Childs, 35, while the injured individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at nearby hospitals.

“I am deeply saddened by the mass shooting at Crown Heights’ Taste of the City Lounge on Sunday,” Caribbean-American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn.

“My heart and condolences are with the families who lost their loved ones, and I am praying for those still recovering from the tragic violence. No community should have to feel the pain ours does in this moment. The American people are demanding Congress to take action to end the gun violence crisis and keep their families safe. They will never accept this unacceptable status quo – neither will I,” she told  the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

“My office and I are closely monitoring this situation, and we will provide updates to our neighbors in Brooklyn as we receive them,” Clarke said.

New York State Assemblymember Brian A. Cunningham, the son of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 43rd Assembly District in Brooklyn, said, “New York’s investments in gun violence prevention have shown that progress is possible.

“Yet gang violence continues to destabilize families in my district and across the city. My colleagues and I are committed to advancing evidence-based strategies and supporting organizations with the trust and experience to interrupt violence.

“Together, we must expand prevention, strengthen youth services, and create lasting pathways to stability so our neighborhoods can be safer and more resilient,” Cunningham told  CMC.

New York State Assemblymember, Phara Souffrant Forrest, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, said that she was “heartbroken by the devastating shooting that occurred this past weekend at the Taste of the City Lounge in my Assembly district, where three lives were senselessly taken and nine others were left injured.

“My deepest sympathies and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones, the survivors who are recovering, and every member of our community who is grieving in the wake of this violence,” added the representative for the 57th Assembly District in Brooklyn.

“This tragedy is a reminder of how urgent it is for us to come together as neighbors, as families, and as a community. In moments of grief and trauma, we must strengthen the bonds that unite us and lift one another up with compassion and support,”  she said, adding “but we must also be honest: grief alone cannot heal systemic wounds.

“Crown Heights, like many communities across New York City, deserves more than temporary and reactive responses to violence. We need long-term investments in our social safety net, youth services, mental health supports, housing stability, and evidence-based initiatives that address the root causes of violence before it erupts.”

New York State Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie, whose grandmother hailed from Jamaica, said: “our hearts are heavy after this weekend’s mass shooting at a Crown Heights restaurant.

“We know that while gun crime citywide is trending in the right direction, these statistics mean nothing if we cannot keep people safe in their communities,” said the representative for the 20th Senate District in Brooklyn.

“Since this incident, I’ve been in constant conversation with the NYPD, the District Attorney, my colleagues and gun violence prevention groups on how we can respond and move forward from this horrible tragedy,” said Myrie, adding “Central Brooklyn, and all New Yorkers, deserve an all-of-government response to gun violence”.

New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson, whose grandmother also hailed from Jamaica, said that “the vibrant, welcoming community of Crown Heights experienced the unfathomable: another mass shooting.

“In the wake of this tragedy, many in our community are grieving and trying to make sense of what happened,” added the representative for the 35th Council District in Brooklyn.

“The families of the individuals who lost their lives, the survivors, and the dozens who witnessed this shooting may experience everything from heightened anxiety and difficulty sleeping to post-traumatic stress disorder in the days and months to come.”

The 67th Precinct Clergy Council, otherwise known as the GodSquad, said in a statement “it is with heavy hearts and profound grief that we respond to the devastating tragedy that unfolded early Sunday morning at the Taste of the City Lounge in Crown Heights.

“As a faith-based, clergy-led organization rooted in Brooklyn, and committed to the lives of our young people, we mourn with the families who are now living with unimaginable loss. We lift them up in prayer and stand with them in this time of sorrow and outrage.

“At the GodSquad, we will continue to fight for a Brooklyn where everyone can live, dream, and grow without the shadow of gun violence. We urge anyone with information about this tragedy to come forward and cooperate with authorities. Justice, accountability, and healing must begin now. Let us turn our mourning into movement. We owe it to the lives lost and to the future we are trying to save.”