Three men stabbed and wounded, one critically, in run-up to Brooklyn J’Ouvert celebration

Three men were stabbed and wounded, one critically, in Brooklyn early Monday in the run-up to the borough’s annual J’Ouvert and West Indian Day celebrations.

A 36-year-old man was stabbed in the face and two men, ages 23 and 32, were stabbed in the neck near Utica Ave. and Carroll St. in Crown Heights about 5:45 a.m., police said.

Medics took all three to Kings County Hospital, where the older man was listed in critical condition. The younger two men were in stable condition.

Cops have made no arrests.

The stabbing happened just a few minutes before J’Ouvert officially kicked off at 6 a.m.

The annual festivities draw millions to Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights to dance, eat and celebrate Caribbean culture for Carnival. But in some recent years the revelries have been tarnished by shootings and stabbings.

On Friday, Mayor Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced they’re ending the West Indian Day Parade, which starts at 11 a.m., a half hour early to try to prevent violence.

“In the past this parade has been accompanied by unacceptable violence, making it difficult for New Yorkers to celebrate joyfully and safely,” Mamdani said Friday.

“That is why City Hall’s Office of Community Safety, the NYPD and our partners in the crisis management system have developed a comprehensive security plan to ensure that this year’s West Indian Day Parade and J’Ouvert can run smoothly and safely.”

Last year, six people were shot and wounded in three separate incidents and one person was slashed as the celebration wound down for the evening, according to cops. In 2024, a gunman jumped a barricade during the parade and wildly opened fire, wounding a 16-year-old gang rival and striking four others, killing a 25-year-old man.