Terror struck in Coney Island Friday evening, as four men were gunned down in the street outside of a local smoke shop. The group of individuals, the youngest of them 17, were congregated in front of 3222 Mermaid Avenue when a maroon-colored minivan pulled up and fired on the group in what authorities are calling a “targeted shooting”. At least three men sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to NYU Langone, where they are reported as being in stable condition. Police are still investigating and arrests have yet to be made.
The Coney Island shooting is just one of two mass shootings in New York City, with another fatal one occurring in the Bronx just hours earlier. One was killed and three injured in the Bronx shooting, which is unrelated to the Coney Island drive-by shooting. These are breaking news stories, and more information will be available as police investigate.
Story by Emily Cotler
Photos by Bruce Cotler