The Bronx Dominican community showed up in huge numbers to celebrate the 36th Annual Bronx Dominican Day Parade on Sunday, July 27. Earlier that morning, New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference at the 42nd Precinct in the Melrose section of the South Bronx, to discuss major wins in the fight against gun violence before later marching in the parade. Later that evening, violence erupted as several people were shot or otherwise injured close to the parade route.

 

A few days prior, on July 23, a themed event had been held to kick off the festivities, and in addition to various members of the Bronx DR community, it was attended by, among others, the Dominican Consul General Jesús Vasquez Martinez, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and NYC Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

 

Various members of the Dominican community were formally honored at the event. “We proudly celebrated the National Dominican Day Parade at their annual press conference, congratulating this year’s inspiring honorees and thanking the dedicated partners and sponsors who help bring Dominican culture to life in our communities year after year,” Gibson said. “¡Que viva la República Dominicana! [Long live the Dominican Republic!]” Tributes were also paid and a moment’s silence was held for those lost and injured on April 8 in the Jet Set nite club collapse in Santa Domingo, DR.

 

The parade, a celebration of Dominican culture and heritage, started at 1.40 p.m. on July 27 on the Grand Concourse at East 167th Street in the Concourse section of the borough and continued to East 176th Street in Mt. Hope. According to a post by Chance Lee, it featured 22 floats, dance troupes, and live music, with the main viewing stand located at East 176th Street, where various performances and speeches took place between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Gibson marched in the parade, along with other elected officials, including Attorney General Letitia James, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), who represents parts of the west Bronx and northern Manhattan, and State Sen. Luis Sepulveda (S.D. 34), who broadly represents the south center Bronx.

 

“Today, we proudly marched in the 36th annual La Gran Parada Dominicana del Bronx, celebrating the vibrant culture, pride, and contributions of our Dominican community in the Boogie Down!” Gibson later said in part. “A special thanks to the parade organizers, Dominican Consul General Jesús “Chu” Vasquez Martinez, and all the elected officials and community members who came out to show love and support for our Dominican brothers and sisters.”

 

Also seen marching were Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86), who broadly represents the west center Bronx, Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14), and Council Member Oswald Feliz (C.D. 15).

 

On the morning of the parade, the NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus gathered with Dominican leaders and other Bronx elected leaders to celebrate 36 years of the “Gran Parada Dominicana del Bronx.” The members later wrote, “Recognizing a community whose culture and pride move New York forward every day. Pa’lante siempre!” [Forward, always!]

 

Other elected officials seen at the event were Attorney General Letitia James, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Assemblyman George Alvarez (A.D. 78), Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), City Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), Assemblymember Chantal Jackson (A.D. 79), City Councilmember Althea Stevens (C.D. 16), and State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (S.D. 20) of Brooklyn, a former Democratic mayoral candidate.

Tapia, who is Dominican American, later said, Such a joy to kick off the Annual Bronx Dominican Parade with my annual breakfast at Mount Hope Garden! Over 300 residents, electeds & community leaders came together to celebrate Dominican pride.” She added, “Que viva La Patria!!!” [Long live the Homeland!]

 

Tapia later said, “Proud to have marched at today’s Dominican Day Parade in the Bronx to celebrate the culture and contributions of our vibrant community. Que viva la Republica Dominicana! [Long Live the Dominican Republic!]”

 

Speaking in Spanish to El Nuevo Diario on the day of the parade before the shootings, Espaillat, the first Dominican American and first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in Congress, said in part, “The Dominican community continues to grow in The Bronx and in reality across New York City.” He added that the community continues to be an important one in terms of the economy, culturally, and in every important aspect of life in the City.” He added, “If the Dominican community does not move forward, the City of New York cannot advance,” he said.

 

In a later interview with El Avance Media, the congressman noted in Spanish that the parade was taking place in a borough that he said has the most Dominicans out of all five. He added that the growth of the community in the borough signified a change in the City and in The Bronx from an employment and other perspectives.

 

Later he wrote, “This weekend, we recognized the important contributions to and the lasting impact of the Dominican-American community on the City of New York and on our nation. From the culture, music, public service, small businesses, and human rights, the Dominican American community has contributed in helping to forge the vibrant fabric of our society for generations. Thank you for everything you’ve contributed!”

 

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Dinowitz later wrote, “The Dominican day parade this weekend was filled with joyous celebrations! I joined my colleagues in these celebrations to show up for the Dominican community and celebrate their special culture and heritage.”

Police later said that at around 5.30 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding a man who had been shot in the vicinity of Elliot Place and the Grand Concourse, in Mt. Eden. They said, “Upon arrival, officers observed a 24-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the buttocks. EMS responded and transported the victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln in stable condition.”

 

They said that at around 6.48 p.m., in the vicinity of East 170th Street and Grand Concourse in Mt. Eden, officers responded to another reported shooting. “Upon arrival, officers observed a 19-year-old female with a gunshot wound to the right ankle and a 19-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the neck,” they said.

 

Police said EMS responded and transported the female victim to St. Barnabas Hospital in Belmont and the male victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln, both in stable condition. They said there were no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.

 

Police later said that there had been a fight at the location and an unknown male displayed a firearm and had fired it into a crowd. They said there were no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.

Norwood News followed up with the NYPD on some separate unconfirmed reports of violence in the vicinity of the parade route, including one at around 5.42 pm at Walton Avenue and  East 170th Street also in Mt. Eden, and police responded saying there was no complaint report on file based on this time and location. Neither did they have any report on file for any reported incident at 6.09 p.m. at Grand Concourse and Elliot Place.

 

We also asked about an unconfirmed report of a person shot at 6.50 p.m. in the vicinity of Sheridan Avenue and Grand Concourse also in Mt. Eden, and of another unconfirmed shooting at 170th Street and Morris Avenue also in Mt. Eden at 6.54 p.m. Police said they didn’t have any report on file for these times and locations. However, they said EMS was requested for an injured officer at 7.35 p.m. at the second location.

 

They also said that at 7.35 p.m. at the Grand Concourse and East 170th Street, there was a group fight and a bottle was thrown and struck a 38-year-old male officer causing an injury to his head and a minor laceration to his left arm.

 

They said at 7.40 p.m., at Grand Concourse and East 170th Street, an unknown person threw a bottle at an 33-year-old male officer’s chest causing him to find it difficult to breathe, and at 7.40 p.m., at Grand Concourse and East 170th Street, they said an unknown suspect threw a bottle which struck an officer and pieces of glass also struck a 29-year-old male in the forehead causing a laceration.

 

Later, reacting to the violence, the borough president released a statement, saying, “What should have been an afternoon of celebrating the culture and pride of our diverse Borough turned into a horrific tragedy with two shootings and a stabbing that left multiple people injured. Our hearts and prayers go out to those parade-goers and participants harmed in these horrific incidents.”

She continued in part, “This senseless violence does not represent who we are and has no place in our borough. Our office looks forward to convening a meeting with our elected officials, city agencies, and parade organizers to discuss strategies moving forward. We must work together to ensure that our parades and festivals are enjoyable and safe for all participants.”

 

She concluded, “We can’t wait to see all of you on Sunday, August 10th as we proudly represent our Bronx Dominican community in the [Manhattan] parade!”

 

Sammy Ravelo, president of the Dominican Veterans of America, said of the day’s violence, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the tragic shootings after the Dominican Day Parade. While our celebration highlighted our vibrant culture, it was marred by violence that is absolutely unacceptable.”

 

Ravelo, a former candidate for Bronx borough president, added, “We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation into these incidents. Let us unite as a community to ensure that future events reflect our commitment to peace, safety, and understanding for everyone.”

 

Norwood News visited the sites of the various incidents on Tuesday, July 29, and spoke to several residents but nobody had witnessed any of the violence. One hairdresser we spoke to seemed to play it down, simply saying the shootings took place after the parade.

 

In some videos shared on social media, some parade attendees are seen jumping on top of the roofs of cars seemingly during the parade. Click here and here to view more.

Meanwhile, in the midst of his mayoral reelection campaign, the mayor was seen marching in the parade alongside Alina Dowe, Bronx borough director for the mayor’s community affairs unit.

 

At his earlier press conference, Adams was joined by Gibson, Clark, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, other elected officials, and anti-gun violence activist Yanely Henriquez, mother of 16-year-old Angellyh Yambo, who spent some of your youth in Kingsbridge Heights and who was fatally shot in 2022.

 

During the event, the mayor said gun violence and particularly the proliferation of ghost guns continued to be a top concern for the NYPD, though crime rates had dropped by unprecedented levels. The following day, as reported, five people, including NYPD Det. First Grade Didarul Islam, 36, of the 47th Precinct and two former Riverdale students, Julia Hyman, 27, and Wesley LePatner, 43, were gunned down during a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan by Shane Tamura of Las Vegas before he shot himself.

 

Despite recent less-than-favorable polling, the mayor has continued to focus on the job at hand, receiving praise from the governor for his handling of the Manhattan mass shooting.

 

Adams has also been more and more visible on social media, participating in various podcasts, and actively attending events all over the city almost every weekend since formally announcing his reelection bid. In this video, he can be seen dancing and interacting with parade attendees.

Meanwhile, from June 26 to July 6, Hostos Community College, in collaboration with the NYC Department of Education, led an academic and cultural exchange in the Dominican Republic, co-coordinated with the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), described as the oldest university in the Americas.

 

The program, spearheaded by Ana I. García Reyes, Hostos Dean of Community Affairs, featured two weeks of pre-departure training in New York followed by an intensive immersion in the program, entitled “Dominican Social, Educational, and Cultural Realities.”

 

Anyone with information regarding the crime-related incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

 

*David Greene and Miriam Quinones contributed to this story.