New York City police say two people have been shot to death during a carnival in the hours before the West Indian Day Parade.
Police say a male in his late teens or early 20s was shot in the chest at around 3:50 a.m. Monday in Brooklyn. He died at a hospital.
Police say about 25 minutes later, a 22-year-old woman was shot in the head just a block away and died at a hospital.
Police are investigating whether the shootings are related.
The shootings happened during J'ouvert, a carnival celebrating Caribbean culture held before dawn each Labor Day. The event is often marred by violence. Last year, an aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo was killed by a stray bullet.
As of Sunday night Cuomo was scheduled to march in today’s parade at 11 a.m.
Last week, authorities said they arrested a fifth suspect in the murder of Cuomo’s aide in the hours before last year's West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn.
Kenny Bazile was arrested Thursday in Palm Desert, California. WNBC-TV reports he's accused of firing shots during a gang-related gun battle last year in which Carey Gabay was fatally shot by stray gunfire. Bazile won't be charged until he's returned to New York.
Gabay, a 43-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer, was a first deputy general counsel at the Empire State Development Corp.
Four other suspects have been arrested in the shooting.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
