Three men were killed and at least eight others injured in a shooting at a packed nightclub in Brooklyn, New York City, early Sunday morning, police said.

The incident occurred just before 3:30 am (07:30 GMT) at Taste of the City Lounge in Crown Heights, following what authorities described as a dispute. 

New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that investigators believe up to four individuals opened fire using multiple weapons.

“This was a terrible shooting in the city of New York,” Tisch said during a press briefing. She confirmed that police recovered at least 36 shell casings from the scene and located a firearm on a nearby street.

Among the wounded were eight men and three women, all of whom are being treated in the hospital for injuries that are not considered life-threatening, according to police.

The shooting comes during a year in which New York City has recorded historically low levels of gun violence. “We have the lowest numbers of shooting incidents and shooting victims seven months into the year that we’ve seen on record,” Tisch noted. “This incident is, thankfully, an anomaly. It’s a tragic event, and we are committed to thoroughly investigating what happened.”

The attack follows another deadly shooting in late July, when a gunman killed five people, including himself, inside a midtown Manhattan office. 

According to Mayor Eric Adams, the assailant had been targeting the headquarters of the National Football League (NFL), which he blamed for brain injuries he claimed to have suffered.

Source: Al Jazeera

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