TRANSBRATIONS: The end of the West Indian Day Parade Carnival in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (2024).

The last time I attended the West Indian Day Parade was in 2014, but yesterday, I returned at 1 pm, joining over a million festive people of Caribbean descent. I was sipping my Hennessy and apple juice around 2:00 pm, near the Brooklyn Museum in front of the Botanical Garden. I spotted Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson dancing on her float. Thirty-five minutes later, I noticed some commotion involving emergency services, which I assumed was a medical situation.
About half an hour later, as I walked towards Crown Heights, I was taken aback to see dozens of police officers and the parade at a standstill for at least twenty minutes. It was then that I learned there had been a mass shooting-five people were shot. I witnessed the aftermath, with investigators marking bullet casings on the ground.
Despite the violence, the celebration continued into the night near Franklin and Eastern Parkway, and I had a fantastic time. I’m already looking forward to returning next year.
#brooklyn #westindiandayparade #carribbean #crownheights #housemusic #crime #gunviolence #summer