Family of Coney Island shooting victims speaks out as community demands action
The gathering served as both a show of support for the family and a call to action following a tragedy that disrupted what was meant to be a holiday celebration.
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Community leaders, gun violence prevention advocates and the family of victims gathered in Coney Island to call for justice and renewed efforts to combat gun violence after a Fourth of July shooting left eight members of one family hospitalized.
The gathering served as both a show of support for the family and a call to action following a tragedy that disrupted what was meant to be a holiday celebration.
Among those speaking was Tiffany, the mother of two of the victims. She described the emotional toll the shooting has taken on her family.
"Please keep us in your prayers," said Tiffany. "I have to look at my daughter connected to tubes, fighting. My 3-year-old daughter can't sleep, and she won't stop asking for her sister. My cousins are having nightmares about the shooting. My mother is traumatized that she will never see her grandchildren again. This was just a senseless act."
Family members said the victims include both children and adults, all caught in the violence for reasons they still struggle to understand.
"They shot my kid,” one relative said. “They shot my grandson. They shot our babies. My 6-year-old grandson is laying in the hospital with bullet wounds to his chest."
While all eight victims survived, relatives say they now face a long recovery process marked by physical and emotional trauma.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged that those responsible will be brought to justice.
"We will find whoever is responsible for this heinous crime, and we will hold them accountable with the fullness of the law," Mamdani said.
At the rally, community leaders and violence intervention specialists also stressed the need for increased investment in programs designed to prevent shootings before they happen.
"The reality is we are fighting this battle grossly under-resourced," said Terence Rice, director of Operation H.O.O.D. "The victims of this tragedy and the Coney Island community deserve a response from our state and federal government that mirrors the robust funding, attention, and support other communities routinely receive following mass shootings."
Advocates said creating safer neighborhoods requires a collective effort from government agencies, community organizations, and residents alike.
They emphasized that no family should choose between celebrating with loved ones and feeling safe in their own community.
For now, community members say they are focused on supporting the victims and ensuring the family knows they are not facing the aftermath of the shooting alone.
