Three people were killed and eight others wounded when gunmen opened fire inside a Brooklyn hookah lounge and restaurant in the early hours of Sunday.

 

According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), the shooting began just before 3:30 a.m. at Taste of the City Lounge, located at 903 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that three men, aged 27, 35, and another whose age has not yet been released, were pronounced dead at the scene.

 

Eight additional victims, five men and three women, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals. The oldest among them was 61 years old.

 

Investigators reported recovering at least 36 shell casings from inside the lounge. Police believe the gunfire stemmed from a dispute that escalated inside the crowded venue. A firearm was later recovered near Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway, though its connection to the shooting has not been confirmed.

 

Commissioner Tisch described the incident as “an anomaly,” stressing that New York City is currently experiencing its lowest number of shootings and shooting victims in seven months on record.

 

Video footage posted on social media showed NYPD officers working inside the blood-stained lounge, where glass lay shattered, as paramedics rushed victims to waiting ambulances.

 

Taste of the City Lounge, which opened in 2022 and features American and Caribbean cuisine alongside a bar and DJs, has previously seen violence; in November 2024, a non-fatal shooting also occurred at the venue. The establishment is located less than half a mile from the Brooklyn Museum.

 

Police said no arrests have been made so far, and the suspects remain unidentified. A full investigation is underway.