A grim start to the new year unfolded in Jamaica, Queens when a mass shooting left ten teenagers wounded outside the Amazura Concert Hall, an event reportedly filled to capacity, hosting a private event. CBS News reported that the incident occurred just past 11:15 p.m. on New Year's Day, turning a night of celebration into one of chaos and tragedy.
The New York Police Department is currently searching for four male suspects believed to have randomly opened fire into a gathering of around 15 people who were waiting to get inside the venue. It is reported that the individuals, after firing some 30 rounds into the crowd, proceeded to hastily flee towards 143rd Place, ultimately disappearing in a light-colored sedan with out-of-state plates, as was described in a statement obtained by Gothamist.
According to NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera, the victims of this assault were between the ages of 16 and 19. "Officers responded to the multiple 911 calls and found a total of 10 victims -- six females, four males -- who were taken to area hospitals. All of the victims are expected to recover with non-life-threatening injuries," Rivera told CBS News. The victims were transported to various local hospitals, with the Jamaica Hospital Trauma Center treating the majority of the injuries which ranged from gunshot wounds to the extremities to graze wounds.
Police are also actively canvassing additional medical centers in the quest to identify any more possible victims related to this heinous crime. The public's assistance is being sought in the manhunt for the attackers, with authorities urging anyone with information about the shooting to reach out through the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline or their website, reminding that all calls remain confidential, as detailed in the articles. This tragic event unfolded on the same day as other violent incidents in the country, yet in an overnight press conference, Rivera was keen to clarify that the Queens shooting was not being investigated as a terrorist attack, as opposed to the events in New Orleans and Nevada. The motive behind the Queens shooting remains unclear, and no arrests have yet been made.
