Police said the gunman fired after an exchange outside Richard’s Restaurant and Bar in Canarsie and remained at large Monday.
NEW YORK, NY — Four people were wounded when gunfire broke out outside a restaurant and bar in Brooklyn early Sunday, sending patrons running for cover and leaving police searching for a shooter who fled on foot, authorities said.
The shooting happened just after 5 a.m. outside Richard’s Restaurant and Bar on Avenue L in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, according to police and local TV reports. The four victims, two women and two men ages 38 to 44, were struck in the leg or arm and were expected to survive. The burst of violence came as New York police had been pointing to a record-low start to 2026 for shootings citywide, making the Canarsie gunfire a sharp and public setback in a neighborhood business corridor.
Police said officers responded at about 5:06 a.m. and found four adults wounded outside the business, also identified in some reports as Richard’s Hall and Lounge. A 38-year-old woman and a 43-year-old woman were each shot in the leg. One 44-year-old man was shot in the leg, and another 44-year-old man was shot in the arm. All four were taken to hospitals in stable condition. Video described by local outlets showed a man walking up to a group gathered in front of the lounge, exchanging words and then opening fire seconds later. After the shots rang out, some people ran inside the business while others moved away from the scene. Police said the shooter ran off down East 94th Street. By Sunday afternoon and into Monday, no arrest had been announced.
What led to the shooting had not been publicly established. Police did not immediately say whether the gunman knew the victims, whether the victims were the intended targets, or whether an argument inside or outside the bar set off the attack. The available accounts pointed to a brief confrontation before the shots were fired. The wounded ranged from 38 to 44 years old, suggesting the gunfire struck adults who had been part of the early-morning crowd outside the venue near the end of the weekend. Local reports said all four injuries were to arms or legs, a detail that often signals survivable wounds but still points to a chaotic and dangerous scene in a tight street setting. Officials had not publicly released the suspect’s name, a clothing description or any information about a weapon by Monday. They also had not said how many rounds were fired or whether surveillance footage from nearby businesses had clearly captured the gunman.
The shooting happened outside a business at 9404 Avenue L, a spot that presents itself as a neighborhood restaurant and bar hosting food, drinks and late-night events. Canarsie, in southeast Brooklyn, is a largely residential neighborhood with busy commercial strips that stay active overnight on weekends. Violence outside bars and lounges has been a repeated concern for police in New York because crowds gather at closing time, people spill onto sidewalks and streets, and arguments can flare quickly. The city has seen several high-profile shootings tied to nightlife settings in the past year, including earlier incidents in Brooklyn that drew attention to security, crowd control and how quickly personal disputes can turn into gunfire. At the same time, police leaders said on March 2 that the first two months of 2026 had brought the fewest shooting incidents and shooting victims in recorded city history for January and February combined. That broader drop in shootings forms the backdrop for the Canarsie case: a city reporting improving numbers, but still confronting sudden eruptions of gun violence that can wound multiple people in seconds.
As of Monday, the case remained at the investigative stage. No charges had been announced, and police had not said whether detectives had identified a suspect. The next steps are likely to include a review of surveillance video, interviews with victims and witnesses, and a canvass for shell casings or other physical evidence near the bar and along the suspect’s escape route. Investigators also will try to determine whether the gunfire started as a personal dispute, a targeted attack or a broader fight involving multiple people. Because all four victims survived, the eventual charges could depend on what detectives conclude about intent, weapon possession and whether prosecutors believe the shooter deliberately aimed at specific people in the crowd. Police had not announced a news conference, and no court appearance had been scheduled publicly by Monday. The immediate milestone is the identification and arrest of the person who fired the shots.
In the moments after the attack, the scene shifted from a weekend gathering place to a crime scene marked by wounded patrons, scattered bystanders and flashing emergency lights. Witness accounts carried that sudden change in tone. One witness quoted by a local report said the group had been celebrating a birthday before the gunfire. Other footage described by broadcasters showed two people moving away from the area with little warning just as the confrontation unfolded, while the wounded rushed back toward the bar for cover. The images and accounts underscored how little time people had to react. For nearby residents and regular customers, the shooting hit a familiar neighborhood business rather than a distant corner of the city. That can deepen the sense of shock even when injuries are not fatal, because the violence reaches into an ordinary place tied to meals, music and weekend social life. By Monday morning, the police search for the gunman had become the central unanswered question hanging over the block.
The four victims were expected to recover, but the shooter had not been publicly identified by Monday, March 9. The next turning point in the case is likely to be an arrest announcement or a police release of suspect details as detectives continue to piece together what triggered the gunfire outside the Canarsie bar.
Author note: Last updated March 9, 2026.