Ten people were injured in a late-night shooting outside the Amazura nightclub in Queens, New York City, but authorities have confirmed the attack is not linked to terrorism.
The incident happened around 11:15 p.m. on January 1, when about 15 people between 16 and 20 years old waited to enter a private event at the nightclub.
According to Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera of the New York Police Department (NYPD), several gunmen approached on foot and opened fire on the crowd, shooting approximately 30 rounds before fleeing.
The assailants were later seen entering a light-coloured sedan with out-of-state license plates, Rivera said during a press conference early Thursday morning.
“There is zero tolerance for these senseless shootings,” said Rivera.
Six women and four men were transported to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
All are expected to recover.
Meanwhile, authorities have identified multiple shell casings at the scene, with the investigation expanding to include a gray Infiniti Q50 sedan with New Jersey plates believed to be connected to the suspects.
Inside the nightclub, 90 people were attending an event when the shooting occurred.
Social media posts showed a heavy police presence and ambulances at the scene outside Amazura.
Police quickly cordoned off the area, blocking roads and increasing the crime scene’s perimeter.
As authorities worked to gather evidence, additional units were dispatched to the area of Amazura and Sutphin Boulevard.
While the motive for the attack remains unclear, Rivera said, “This is not terrorism.”
The incident occurred amid heightened security concerns in the United States following a separate and devastating attack in New Orleans being treated as terrorism.
In New Orleans, a truck driver drove into a crowded French Quarter, then fired a long rifle before being fatally shot by police.
The FBI is treating the New Orleans attack as a terrorist act and has indicated the suspect likely did not act alone.
However, the Queens shooting appears isolated, though its impact has shaken the community.