NYC mayoral candidates reacted with anger and frustration following a mass shooting at a Brooklyn restaurant and club early on Sunday morning that left three people dead and multiple other victims injured.
The tragic incident at Taste of the City, located near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, became a focal point in the election on Aug. 17, with candidates discussing their plans for combating gun violence and decreasing crime.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch that they are putting together a violence interruption team to prevent retaliation in what they said was likely a gang-related incident.
Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, a socialist and frontrunner in the mayoral race, responded during an unrelated press event in Brooklyn, saying the city needs more programs geared toward combating gun violence.
He noted early on Sunday that the shooting was “yet another example of the scourge of gun violence that has taken hold across so much of our city.”
“What we need in this moment is a vision of a city where this is not something that we can expect, this is not something that New Yorkers have to come to terms with, but where we invest in the very kind of programs and services that have been proven effective at combating this epidemic, one of those things being the crisis management system,” Mamdani said.
Cuomo: ‘Not the time to defund or dismantle the police’
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent candidate after Mamdani crushed him in the Democratic primary, took to social media to condemn the shooting and offer condolences to the families of those killed.
Cuomo seemed to take a swipe at Mamdani’s previous comments from 2020, in which he expressed support for defunding the police — though Mamdani has since retracted those statements.
“Another horrific mass shooting in NYC last night, as three lives were lost and eight wounded in a senseless, deadly attack. My heart goes out to the victims and to their loved ones,” Cuomo wrote on X (Twitter) Sunday. “Public safety is, and always has been, Job 1. This isn’t the time to defund or dismantle the police. We need more officers, not less, to keep our communities safe.”
Republican nominee and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, meanwhile, emphasized a strong law-and-order response.
In a statement to amNewYork, Sliwa did not shy away from politically jabbing Cuomo and Mamdani, and their respective stances on crime.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families after this latest shooting,” he said. “Cuomo’s criminal laws created this mess, and Mamdani’s radical agenda would only make it worse. The status quo has failed. I’m the only candidate with the courage to restore law and order in NYC.”
The shooting, which occurred inside the restaurant on Franklin Avenue at around 3:30 a.m., shocked the community and residents citywide. According to law enforcement sources, the suspects came into the establishment and began firing their weapons.
Dozens of shell casings and a gun were found near the crime scene. So far, no arrests have been made, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Sunday’s mass shooting, as well as other high-profile violence, has put a spotlight on the mayoral candidates on how they plan to tackle crime and gun violence in the city.
As crime rates rise and fall, voters will likely be curious to learn more about the candidates’ plans as Election Day and early voting draw closer.
