Violent Fourth of July: Separate Shootings in Brooklyn Injure Detective and Children

During a violent Fourth of July weekend, a New York City police detective and four children were injured in separate shootings in Brooklyn.

Detective Robert Karroll, part of the Sex Offender Monitoring Unit, was shot in the back of his bulletproof vest during a confrontation with an armed 18-year-old suspect in Crown Heights. This incident occurred early on Sunday morning. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed these details during a news conference held later.

Detective Karroll was transported to Kings County Hospital and is expected to recover fully. Another officer involved in the incident sustained contusions to the face and shoulder.

“This violence must end,” stated Detectives’ Endowment Association President Scott Munro at a news conference on Sunday morning. “Three weeks ago, we had another detective shot, this must stop. Our members are protecting New York City’s residents both day and night, and they should be respected. Thankfully, this detective is going home.”

Commissioner Tisch described the situation as unclear due to the absence of body-worn cameras. Officers from a mobile field force detail were sitting in an unmarked police vehicle near Nostrand Avenue and St. Johns Place when approached by a suspect at around 4:14 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, another shooting in Coney Island left eight people injured, among them four children aged 14, 12, 7, and 6. The victims were taken to hospitals, with seven listed as in stable condition. A 21-year-old female victim was critically injured.

During the Crown Heights incident, officers attempted to engage the suspect and fired their weapons. The suspect avoided being hit but damaged the police vehicle’s front and rear windshields and the passenger side with gunfire.

Police chased and apprehended the suspect near Rogers Avenue and Union Street. According to Tisch, the suspect resisted arrest, prompting officers to use a taser. A recovered SAR 9mm firearm was linked to the suspect.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed relief over Detective Karroll’s well-being, highlighting that he was wearing a bulletproof vest, which prevented serious injury. Karroll is a husband and father of three.

The officers involved had been assigned to the area as part of NYPD’s Fourth of July violence reduction plan. Investigators are searching for surveillance footage in nearby businesses since no body-camera video exists.

Reporting assistance provided by Reuters. Eric Mack covers breaking news on politics, elections, foreign affairs, and government.