31 People Shot in 48 Hours in New York City, Mayor Calls Violence 'Unconscionable'

In one of the bloodiest weekends in New York's recent history, 31 people were shot in roughly 48 hours, the New York Post reports.

Twenty-five people had been shot by Sunday night, but early Monday morning, six more people were struck in three separate incidents in Brooklyn.

Four people were shot around 12:45 a.m. at what appeared to be a barbecue on East 54th Street. One of the victims, 18-year-old Tyrief Gary, later died. The other three are in stable condition.

A man and a woman were each shot in the chest at 4:24 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Both victims were taken to Kings County hospital, where they were in critical condition Monday morning.

Police sources believe that the three latest shootings are connected to the pre-dawn festivities leading up to Monday's West Indian Day parade. The traditional celebration, known as J'ouvert, has been the scene of numerous shootings in the past.

Calling the violence "just unconscionable," Mayor Bloomberg demanded that federal authorities step up their efforts to get illegal weapons off the streets.

"We just cannot continue to have these guns in the hands of kids who don't understand the value of human life," Bloomberg said Sunday.

Two dozen of the victims were shot in 13 incidents between 6:00 a.m. Saturday and 8:00 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

More than half of those were wounded -- one fatally -- within a five-hour stretch, from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Sunday, according to local reports.

The one-day crime wave mirrored the city's drug-fueled epidemic of violence in the 1980s and 1990s, police sources said.

"Last night was unbelievable," one source told the Post. "I can't remember a couple of hours like these since the days of crack."

Eight people alone were shot at 3:40 a.m. at a house party in the Bronx, authorities said.

Police said they were searching for 17-year-old Oneil DaSilva, of Mount Vernon, in connection with the shooting. His rap sheet includes nine arrests for attempted murder, third-degree assault and burglary. A second suspect has not been identified.

The violence continued during the day Sunday and into Monday, with at least five more reported shootings, one of them fatal.

Fox affiliate WNYW-TV reported early Monday that at least one person was shot and another arrested at a McDonald's in Brooklyn. Several people were injured in the incident, according to the station.

Newscore contributed to this report.