Two men are now facing 88 charges related to a shooting at a July 4 barbecue in Coney Island that resulted in injuries to eight people, among them four children, and the death of a puppy, prosecutors revealed this Wednesday.
Robert Smith and Kevin Brandt, both 44, were charged earlier this month with attempted murder and assault, following a tragedy that turned what should have been a family celebration into chaos.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stated, “These defendants are accused of unleashing gunfire into a courtyard filled with families enjoying the Fourth of July.”
Gonzalez remarked that it’s remarkable no one lost their life, yet that doesn’t lessen the recklessness and brutality of the incident.
Smith was arraigned on August 3, while Brandt faced charges just this Wednesday.
According to prosecutors, after Smith’s gun jammed while he tried to shoot at the barbecue, Brandt assisted in clearing it, enabling Smith to fire approximately 15 shots into the crowd.
The gunfire left eight family members injured, including four boys (ages 6, 7, 12, and 14) and four adults (ages 21, 25, 33, and 37).
All victims were taken to nearby hospitals. The 21-year-old woman was initially reported in critical condition, although the rest were stable.
Sadly, a 10-week-old puppy named Skye, belonging to the 6-year-old boy, was shot in the head and died.
The day before Smith’s arrest by the U.S. Marshals on July 8, his grandmother, Carlene Pearsall, made an emotional plea for justice to Mayor Zoran Mamdani during the victim’s wake.
Pearsall cried, “They shot our baby.” She expressed the senseless nature of the violence, sharing how her son questioned, “Mom, what did I do to deserve this?” asserting, “You haven’t done anything… It must come to an end.”
Authorities previously suggested that the shooting could be related to gang activity.
