Two Brooklyn Men Indicted for Attempted Murder in Alleged July Fourth Mass Shooting That Wounded 8, Including 4 Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Two Brooklyn Men Indicted for Attempted Murder in Alleged
July Fourth Mass Shooting That Wounded 8, Including 4 Children

Eight Family Members Shot During Family Barbecue in Coney Island;
Youngest Victim's Puppy Was Struck in Head and Killed

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that two Brooklyn men have been indicted on attempted murder and other charges in connection with a mass shooting at a family Fourth of July barbecue in Coney Island. The shooting left eight people, including four children, wounded. A 10-week-old puppy belonging to the youngest victim was shot in the head and killed.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, "These defendants are allegedly responsible for unleashing a barrage of gunfire into a courtyard packed with families celebrating the Fourth of July, striking eight people-including four children-and killing a six-year-old boy's puppy. The fact that no person was killed is extraordinary, but it does not diminish the alleged recklessness and brutality of this attack. We will now seek to hold both defendants fully accountable for the devastation they are accused of causing."

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Robert Smith, 44, and Kevin Blunt, 44, both of Coney Island. They are charged together in an 88-count indictment with first- and second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault, first- and second-degree criminal use of a firearm, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, first-degree attempted assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. Smith was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun and was ordered held without bail and to return to court on October 14, 2026. Blunt was arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Warin on August 3, 2026, and was ordered held without bail and to return to court on August 19, 2026.

The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on July 4, 2026, at approximately 10:30 p.m., approximately 50 people were gathered for a family barbecue in the courtyard of a residential building near Surf Avenue and West 30^th Street in Coney Island when the defendants allegedly approached. It is alleged that Smith fired attempted to fire into the barbecue, and when the gun appeared to jam, Blunt helped clear it, allowing Smith to fire approximately 15 shots into the crowd.

Eight people were struck by gunfire, including four boys, ages six, seven, 12 and 14, and four adults, ages 21, 25, 33 and 37. The victims were taken to local hospitals, where the 21-year-old woman was initially listed in critical condition and the remaining victims were in stable condition. Additionally, the six-year-old victim's 10-week-old puppy, Sky, was shot in the head and killed.

According to the investigation, surveillance footage allegedly captured the shootings and the defendants' actions before, during and after the attack. Smith was apprehended by the US Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force on July 8, 2026, in the confines of the 60^th Precinct. Blunt was subsequently apprehended by the US Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force in the confines of the 84^th Precinct.

The District Attorney thanked Detective Omar Santiago of the Brooklyn South Video Team and Detective Andrew Noto of the 60^th Precinct Detective Squad for their assistance in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Adam Ghalmi and Assistant District Attorney Cassidy Oliver, of the District Attorney's Green Zone Trial Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Homicide Bureau Chief and overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Joseph Alexis, Chief of the District Attorney's Trial Division.

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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant's guilt.