Fatal Shooting at Taste of the City Lounge in Brooklyn: 3 Dead, 8 Injured

Liputan6.com, Jakarta A brutal shooting rocked Taste of the City Lounge, a popular entertainment venue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, early Sunday morning, August 17, 2025.

This tragic incident killed three people and injured eight others, raising serious concerns about public safety in the area.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) received reports of a shooting at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time at 903 Franklin Avenue.

The lounge, known as a restaurant, bar, and hookah lounge, was busy at the time of the incident, adding to the panic among those present.

The deceased were all men aged 19, 27, and 35.

The eight injured, five men and three women aged 19 to 61, were taken to nearby hospitals in non-life-threatening conditions.

🚨 BREAKING: Early morning mass shooting at Taste of the City Lounge in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. 11 shot, 3 dead. NYPD confirms 37 shots fired, at least 2 shooters still at large.🎥 @ViralNewsNYC pic.twitter.com/DURP3Pc0BW

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 17, 2025

This deadly shooting incident occurred on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at approximately 3:30 a.m., just half an hour after Taste of the City Lounge was supposed to close.

Police officers immediately responded to an emergency call and discovered a horrific scene inside the lounge, which was still packed with people.

A total of 11 people were killed in this tragedy.

Three victims died at the scene: a 19-year-old man, a 27-year-old man, and Jamel Andre Childs, a 35-year-old man who reportedly died while trying to break up a fight before the shooting occurred.

Eight other victims, including five men and three women ranging in age from 19 to 61, suffered injuries and were immediately rushed to local hospitals.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) immediately launched a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators behind the shooting at Taste of the City Lounge.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that investigators suspect multiple shooters, estimated at up to four, were involved, firing multiple firearms.

The initial motive identified by authorities is gang violence, which is believed to have stemmed from a dispute inside the lounge.

“What we know preliminarily is that there was a dispute inside the crowded club that led to the shooting. We believe that there were up to four shooters involved in this incident,” she said.

“At this time, no one is in custody, and the shooting preliminary appears to be gang-related.”

However, to date, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident, and the investigation remains ongoing.

As part of the evidence collection effort, officers have recovered at least 36 to 42 shell casings inside the restaurant, originating from 9mm and .45-caliber weapons.

Additionally, a firearm was recovered near Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway, which is being investigated for its connection to the incident.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch expressed concern over the incident, calling it "a terrible thing to happen," despite New York City seeing a significant decrease in shootings during the first seven months of the year.

Mayor Eric Adams also urged anyone with information regarding the shooting at Taste of the City Lounge to immediately contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline.

“I can easily stand here and tell you that we have driven down crime, that we have removed over 2,000 illegal guns off our street,” Mayor Eric Adams told reporters during a briefing on Sunday’s violence and mentioning the other recent mass shooting.

It should be noted that Taste of the City Lounge is not the first time it has been the site of gun violence.

In November 2024, it was also the scene of a non-fatal shooting.

Some residents claim the lounge is a frequent source of violence in the neighborhood, although Commissioner Tisch was only aware of one other shooting incident associated with the club the previous November.