Bratton says playground shooting 'over a damn backpack' in East Flatbush, Brooklyn

EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) -- At least five teenagers were shot at a playground in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, Monday afternoon, and it was all because of a backpack.

The shooting happened just before 5 p.m. at the Harry Maze Playground on Avenue D between East 56th and East 57th streets.

"We had the five kids shot yesterday playing basketball. five kids in New York City get shot over a damn backpack. That's something to be concerned with. We have a mass shooting every day in the United States. Every day in the united states a mass shooting. So it's become almost a fact of life here," Bratton said.

Police say the victims are all teenage boys between the ages of 15-18 years old. They all suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The teens were inside the playground when police say 21-year-old Bernard Bellony approached them because he thought the bag was taken from his brother, and opened fire.

Two of the teens were struck in the hand, one was struck in the leg, and another in the cheek.

Police say a fifth teen suffered a gunshot wound on the side of his stomach.

"The issue yesterday, the motivation was a dispute over a backpack, of all things. The idea that any human being would walk in to a basketball court and shoot five people over a backpack - that's the height of insanity," Bratton said.

Officials say the teens were not cooperating with the police investigation.

Bellony was arrested at his parole office Tuesday morning. He was previously arrested in 2014 for having a gun. He was supposed to be on parole until March 2018.