Just after 11:15 p.m. on New Year’s Day, ten teenagers were injured in a mass shooting where several suspects opened fire outside of the Amazura Concert Hall located in Queens, New York. Now, Police are searching for four male suspects who shot at a crowd of fifteen people. According to Police, a vigil was being held for 16-year-old Taearion Mungo, who was shot and killed a year prior in October. Ninety people attended the private event celebrating what would have been Taearion’s 16th birthday.
The venue reached its capacity as the night went on, leaving 15 people waiting outside. Allegedly, four men came walking down 91st Ave and fired three rounds into the crowd. The venue says it was an isolated incident, but police say they have been called to this concert hall in the past and believe what happened was gang-related. The victims ranged in age from 16-19 years old and were all expected to survive. Six females and four males were taken to hospitals in the local area.
“Ten families woke up this morning to some of the most devastating news one could imagine receiving — their loved one had been shot. My thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted as they navigate this life-changing ordeal, and I’m relieved that seemingly no lives will be lost due to this despicable shooting,” Richards said in a statement. “I have been in constant communication with law enforcement, and while it does not appear this incident has a Queen’s nexus, under no circumstance will we allow any example of gun violence in our borough to go unpunished. I’m confident that those who perpetrated this heinous act will be arrested and held accountable for their actions.”
-Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.
