The early-morning attacks unfolded near the parade area as New York City deployed heightened security for Labor Day celebrations.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — Five people were stabbed or slashed in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood early Monday, hours before the West Indian American Day Parade, as police investigated several violent incidents near the route of the annual Caribbean celebration.
The attacks occurred as crowds were gathering for J’Ouvert, the pre-dawn festival that precedes the Labor Day parade. Police had already increased security in the area because of violence connected to celebrations in previous years. Authorities had not publicly established a motive for the early-morning attacks or said that they were directly connected to J’Ouvert or the parade.
Police responding to Carroll Street and Utica Avenue at about 5:48 a.m. found a 23-year-old man who had been stabbed in the neck and a 36-year-old man who had been stabbed in the face, according to the NYPD. Less than half an hour later, at about 6:12 a.m., officers found a 32-year-old man who had been stabbed in the neck near Utica Avenue and President Street.
The three men were taken to Kings County Hospital. A fourth victim, a 20-year-old, later arrived at the hospital with a slash wound to the chin. In a separate incident around 6 a.m., a 25-year-old man was slashed in the face near Eastern Parkway and Nostrand Avenue and was taken by private vehicle to Interfaith Medical Center.
Later reporting said all five victims were expected to survive. An earlier report from NBC New York had described the 32-year-old man as critically wounded. Police had not announced any arrests in the stabbing and slashing investigations as of Monday evening. Investigators were searching for two suspects, according to WABC.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani cautioned Monday against drawing an immediate connection between the violence and the celebrations. Speaking before the parade, Mamdani said it was too early to reach conclusions about the broader circumstances surrounding the stabbings. He said city officials remained confident in the security operation involving police, community violence-prevention workers and other city employees.
The city had announced an expanded security plan before the holiday events. J’Ouvert was scheduled to run from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., with 13 entry points along the route. City officials said hundreds of Crisis Management System workers and community safety volunteers had been deployed across areas surrounding the parade as part of an operation covering five precincts and 20 zones.
The West Indian American Day Parade, one of New York City’s largest annual celebrations of Caribbean culture, followed later Monday along Eastern Parkway. Officials planned to end the parade at 5:30 p.m., earlier than in previous years, after violence during past celebrations raised concerns about public safety. Police also used security screening and maintained a large presence around the event.
Violence continued later Monday near the parade area. Police said three people were injured in separate shootings in Crown Heights during the afternoon. A person of interest was taken into custody after one shooting and a firearm was recovered, while police searched for two people in connection with another shooting. The three shooting victims were reported in stable condition.
The NYPD continued investigating the stabbings, slashings and later shootings. Authorities had not announced arrests in connection with the early-morning attacks or publicly identified a motive, and investigators had not established that those incidents were caused by or directly connected to the parade celebrations.
Author note: Last updated September 8, 2026.