What To Know About The Suspected Crown Heights Brooklyn Lounge Shooting
What To Know About The Crown Heights Brooklyn Lounge Shooting
Taste of the City Lounge in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, was the site of a deadly shooting in August 2025, where three people were killed and nine more were injured.
And after the dust had settled, it was reported that two of the three men who'd been killed allegedly had ties to a local gang, which had been terrorizing the area in recent years.
We're going to take a look at some of the details of the shooting see what led up to the violent altercation.
At Least One Shooter Had An Extensive Criminal History
One of the shooters, a man named Jamel Childs, was allegedly affiliated with Folk Nation -- a national gang organization dating back to the 1970s -- and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated he'd been listed in a police database as a member of the gang, according to NBC News.
Tisch described the gang as a "violent" group that "terrorizes Brooklyn." The gang's members have are suspected of involvement in six shootings in 2025.
Childs had a criminal history of his own ... he was sentenced to almost eight years in prison after being convicted in 2018 for robbery, according to the New York Daily News. He served part of his sentence before he was let out on parole in 2023.
One Shooter Was Described As A 'Peacemaker' By Family And Friends
Although Childs was accused of participating in the shocking event, his friends and family have publicly described him as a "peacemaker" and as an individual who was not inclined to violence.
The accused shooter's friend Rajawn Philips spoke to the New York Daily News and characterized Childs as "a cool dude" who would often try to stop conflicts. He said Childs wasn't one of the usual "knuckleheads" who would try to start trouble at clubs and events. Jamel's brother, Richard Childs Jr., also spoke to the outlet and claimed his brother "wanted to save everyone."
Three People Were Dead When The Shooting Ended
The shooting at Taste of the City Lounge commenced just before 3:30 in the morning on Sunday, August 17 ... Childs was recorded on surveillance video arguing with Marvin St. Louis ... they eventually became separated.
St. Louis reportedly found Childs 10 minutes later and opened fire on him -- Childs and two other men then returned fire with their own guns.
Both Childs and St. Louis were struck multiple times, and they were later both pronounced dead at a local hospital. Another bystander was also shot and killed.
A total of 12 people were injured in the violent incident. None of the survivors are believed to have sustained life-threatening injuries.