On the evening of Wednesday, January 1, 2025, a violent incident occurred at the Amazura Concert Hall in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, leaving ten individuals, mostly teenagers, injured. The victims were attending a private memorial event when the shooting started.

The victims’ ages ranged from 16 to 20. They were part of a crowd gathered outside the venue when three to four men approached and fired about 30 shots.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed her shock, stating, “A memorial for a teen lost to gun violence turned to horror when gunmen opened fire on the crowd.”

The shooting took place around 11:20 p.m. with approximately 90 attendees inside the venue for a private memorial gathering, according to New York Police Department Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera. The memorial was held in honor of 16-year-old Taearion Mungo, who was fatally shot in Brooklyn, New York in October last year. When the shooting started, about 15 people were waiting outside the venue.

NYPD officials reported that the victims included six females and four males. All victims were transported to local hospitals, including Long Island Jewish Hospital and Cohen Children’s Medical Center. None of the injuries were life-threatening, and full recovery is expected for all victims.

The police are on the lookout for a gray Infiniti Q50 with a red interior and New Jersey license plates, suspected to be the getaway vehicle. Surveillance footage shows four individuals approaching the venue and fleeing shortly after the shooting.

While law enforcement officers are investigating possible gang links to the incident, they have clarified that it was not an act of terrorism. The NYPD is actively following leads and has sought public assistance in identifying the suspects.

The Amazura Concert Hall, with a seating capacity of 4,000 and known for hosting DJs and live performances, has been cooperative throughout the investigation and expressed their dismay over the senseless act. Chief Rivera urged the community to provide additional information, noting the crowded nature of the private gathering.

The NYPD has released surveillance images of the suspects and is urging anyone with information to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org.

On the first day of the New Year, New York City saw two fatalities and eight injuries from a series of slashings, stabbings, and two shootings, as reported by law enforcement.

The first murder of 2025 occurred at approximately 4:20 a.m. at the intersection of West 137th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem, New York City. A 50-year-old man was found with a neck wound and was declared dead upon arrival at Harlem Hospital. A 39-year-old man, presently a person of interest, is under investigation.

The second homicide took place around an hour later in the Claremont Village area of the Bronx, New York City. Mario Fowler, 46, was killed, and a 23-year-old man was injured outside an apartment building on East 170th Street near Clay Avenue.

Despite being shot in both legs, Fowler managed to reach his building down the street, where emergency services were alerted. He succumbed to his injuries at St Barnabas Hospital. The younger victim was found nearby with a minor chin injury. The identity of the shooter remains unknown, and no arrests have been made in relation to this shooting.

In a previous incident, on December 30, 2024, a shooting at a convenience store on White Plains Road in the Bronx, New York City, left six people injured. Among them were a 40-year-old woman and her 12-year-old daughter. The shooters fled the scene, and no arrests have been reported as of yet.

Gunshots were also fired from a car on December 5, 2024, at the intersection of Classon Avenue and Fulton Street in Brooklyn, New York at around 2:57 p.m. No details about injuries or arrests have been released, and the investigation is still ongoing.

These events underscore the ongoing issue of gun violence in New York City, leading to calls for increased law enforcement efforts and community interventions to address the root causes.