The shooting unfolded near the boardwalk after holiday crowds filled the Brooklyn waterfront.
NEW YORK — Four children were among eight people wounded Saturday night when a gunman fired into a Coney Island courtyard near a family barbecue, police said, leaving one young woman in critical condition.
The attack drew a large police and medical response to the Brooklyn neighborhood shortly after Fourth of July fireworks. Officials said the wounded children were 6, 7, 12 and 14 years old. The adult victims ranged from 21 to 37. Police had not reported an arrest by Sunday.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the shooter wore a black mask and black clothing before opening fire from near the fence line of the courtyard. The gunfire erupted around 10:30 p.m. near Surf Avenue and West 30th Street. Tisch said investigators had found no report of a fight or disturbance before the shooting began.
The most seriously hurt victim was a 21-year-old woman shot in the chest, police said. Seven others were stable and expected to survive. Officers and emergency medical workers moved the victims from the courtyard to ambulances as people who had gathered for the holiday ran from the scene.
The location sits close to the Coney Island boardwalk, a major summer destination that had been crowded through the day. Families had gathered for cookouts and fireworks after beach events and the annual Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest. Police said the shooting happened at an apartment building courtyard, not on the boardwalk itself.
Detectives recovered a gun, but officials did not say Sunday whether it had been matched to the shooting. Police were checking video, interviewing witnesses and searching for the gunman. Officials had not released the shooter’s identity or said whether more than one person was involved.
The shooting added to concern in Coney Island after prior violence in the area. Authorities in May announced charges against alleged members of Coney Island-based gangs in cases tied to shootings across Brooklyn, but officials had not linked Saturday night’s attack to those cases. Police said the motive remained under investigation.
By Sunday afternoon, the courtyard shooting remained under investigation, with the youngest victims recovering and detectives still seeking the person who fired into the holiday gathering.
Author note: Last updated July 5, 2026.