Violence erupted hours after the West Indian Day Parade ended in Brooklyn this evening — leaving two dead and two others injured, authorities said.
A 26-year-old man was stabbed in the neck around 6:30 p.m. in front of Sing Wah Kitchen on St. Johns Place near Utica Avenue — two blocks from the parade route on Eastern Parkway.
The victim was rushed to Kings County Hospital where he died.
A suspect was taken into custody at the scene, cops said.
About 30 minutes earlier, a 27-year-old man was also knifed in the neck at Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway, cops said. He also died at Kings County.
And a man and a woman were both shot in the hip around 5:15 p.m. on Eastern Parkway near New York Avenue, cops said.
“The young lady was dancing in the street and there was loud music coming from the truck,” said one witness.
“At first she thought she got stabbed. But when she pulled up her clothes and looked at the wound, she realized she was shot and she freaked a little bit.
“She wasn’t hurt badly. She was able to walk over and speak to the cop and the ambulance came and took her away on the truck.
“It happened very quickly and nobody heard the shot,” the witness said.
The bloodshed marred what had been a day of dancing, food and celebrating Caribbean culture.
The festivities “remind me of back home,” said Ann Marie Jones, who originally hails from Jamaica.
“The colors are so beautiful, they remind me of the vibrant tropical colors. They cheer me up.”
Nine-year-old Melina Noel was waving Haiti’s flag and shaking a tambourine and dancing.
“I like the bands, dancing and the music. It is so touching. It is like a celebration. It just makes me want to dance,” Melina cheered.
“I’m having a good time. I’m going to keep coming back.”