Queens elected officials were left shocked and dismayed by a mass shooting outside a Jamaica event space on New Year’s night that left ten young people injured while they waited to get into a “celebration of life” for a teen who was gunned down in Brooklyn.
An urgent manhunt is underway for the four young men who opened fire on people who were waiting in line outside the Amazura Concert Hall at 91-12 144th Place at around 11:20 p.m. Police from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica responded to multiple 911 calls of shots fired and arrived at the scene to find six women and four men between the ages of 16 and 19, who suffered gunshot wounds as they ran for their lives when the gunmen fired at least thirty shots.
“My prayers go out to the victims of this violence, and I thank God that all those injured are reportedly in stable condition and are expected to fully recover,” Council Member James Gennaro said, a day after the shooting went down in his district.
His Council colleague, Dr. Nantasha Williams, represents most of downtown Jamaica, including the area close to the Amazura Concert Hall. “My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone affected by the horrific shooting at Amazura last night,” Williams said. “Violence like this has no place in our communities, and we must come together to address the root causes and ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.”
The event was to commemorate the birthday of 16-year-old Tae’arion Mungo, who was shot and killed in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in October.
“The celebration of life for Tae’arion Mungo, a victim of gun violence, should never have ended in this tragedy,” Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers said. “Yesterday’s events serve as a somber reminder that illegal guns must be removed from our streets to ensure a safer New York.”
The gunmen were last seen running westbound on 91st Street towards 143rd Place where they jumped into a waiting gray Infiniti sedan with New Jersey license plates, police said Thursday. Detectives are investigating whether the shooting was gang-related.
“Please stay vigilant, as the perpetrators have not yet been apprehended,” Brooks-Power said. “If you have any information that can help, please contact local law enforcement.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said he is relieved that “seemingly” no lives will be lost due to the “despicable” shooting. “I have been in constant communication with law enforcement, and while it does not appear this incident has a Queens nexus, under no circumstance will we allow any example of gun violence in our borough to go unpunished,” Richards said. “I’m confident that those who perpetrated this heinous act will be arrested and held accountable for their actions,” he added.
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks added he was disappointed and outraged by the mass shooting. “This horrific act of violence has no place in our community. My heart is with the victims of this event, and I wish those involved a swift recovery,” Meeks said. “I commend the first responders for their rapid response to the tragic attack, especially the NYPD during this active investigation as they work to bring those responsible to justice.”
Speaker Adrienne Adams said she was horrified by the mass shooting in a statement posted on social media. “The scourge of gun violence continues to devastate communities like ours that have experienced far too many losses to bear, leaving behind trauma that, if unaddressed, only perpetuated cycles of harm,” Adams said.
Amazura Concert Hall released a statement saying it is working closely with law enforcement to ensure a thorough investigation and to help bring those responsible to justice. “We are deeply saddened by the recent and unfortunate isolated incident that occurred,” they wrote.
Gennaro took umbrage with that part of the statement. “Because of past episodes of gun violence at Amazura, this establishment has an arrangement with the 103rd Precinct pursuant to the City’s Cure Violence Program, whereby the precinct would be apprised of events held at Amazura and the NYPD would advise the establishment and provide police presence to deter violence as needed,” Gennaro said. “Early reports suggest that Amazura did not follow the Cure Violence protocol in this episode and that police were not made aware of this event and, therefore, were not on the scene to deter last night’s violence. These details are still being investigated.”
Gennaro pledged to work with Speaker Adams and his colleagues to ensure that the NYPD’s successful Cure Violence Program, which was created by the City Council in 2011, is strictly complied with by Amazura and all relevant venues. “Non-compliance can result in violence like that which was visited upon the Jamaica community last night, and that is completely unacceptable,” Gennaro said. “Establishments that have been scenes of violence in the past must comply with the Cure Violence Program or be shuttered.”
Anyone with information regarding the mass shooting incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are confidential.
