Thousands of people gathered today in Brooklyn, New York for the city’s annual West Indian American Day Parade.

Now in its 57th year, the annual Labor Day event saw revelers parade from Crown Heights to the Brooklyn Museum, dressed in colourful costumes and dancing to soca and reggae music.

The Labor Day parade is now the culmination of several carnival events in the city, including a steelpan competition and J’Ouvert.

The celebrations however have been marred by violence.

According to a report by The Associated Press, five people were shot at the parade this afternoon.

It says a gunman targeted a specific group of people along the parade route around 2:35pm.

Two of the victims were critically wounded.

The gunman fled.