A violent altercation inside a crowded Brooklyn lounge escalated into a mass shooting early Sunday morning, leaving three people dead and eight others wounded. The New York Police Department is now conducting a city-wide search for multiple suspects who fled the scene after the incident.
The shooting occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. on August 17, 2025, at the Taste of the City Lounge located at 903 Franklin Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood, according to officials. During a press conference, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that officers responded within minutes to numerous 911 calls reporting gunfire. Upon arrival, they discovered a chaotic scene with 11 gunshot victims inside the venue. Sources confirm the victims included eight men and three women, with ages ranging from 27 to 61.
Three male victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have identified two of the deceased as men aged 27 and 35, while the age of the third man has not yet been determined. The remaining eight victims were transported to local hospitals with injuries that have been described as non-life-threatening.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute inside the packed lounge and involved multiple shooters. The scale of the violence was evident from the crime scene, where police recovered at least 36 shell casings. “It’s a terrible thing that happened this morning and we’re going to investigate to determine what went down,” Commissioner Tisch told reporters. As of Sunday morning, no suspects had been taken into custody. Detectives are actively canvassing the area for surveillance footage from in and around the lounge to identify those responsible.
In addition to the evidence collected inside the establishment, police recovered a firearm in the vicinity of Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway. An investigation is underway to determine if the weapon is connected to the shooting at the lounge. This is not the first instance of gun violence at this location; reports indicate that a non-fatal shooting also occurred at the same venue in November 2024.
Despite the shocking nature of the event, Commissioner Tisch noted that it was an anomaly in the city’s recent crime trends. “We have the lowest number of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we’ve seen on record in the city of New York,” she stated, emphasizing the department’s commitment to finding the perpetrators. The investigation remains ongoing as the community grapples with the aftermath of the deadly incident.
