What does the drag community need to know about the deaths near the Knockdown Center?
feat. the best information we can find
All of Brooklyn and the greater Ridgewood area is experiencing the dewy emergence of preparations after the late summer rains that washed Pride out of our collective system: Bushwig Weekend hath come.
Maybe you’re booked, maybe you’re busy and will be missing this year’s festival. Either way, each year comes with its own surprises and there’s only so much one can prepare for, but this year has a unique set of challenges brought to us by some disturbing events that have been occurring around the Knockdown Center.
Here’s what we know for sure:
In July, the body of Damani Alexander, who had been attending an event at KC the night of his disappearance, turned up in Newtown Creek, a highly-polluted tributary of the East River that runs into East Williamsburg. When you exit the Knockdown Center, it only takes a few turns to get to this Creek:
As shown here, there is only a short, waist-high fence preventing passers-by from falling into the creek. That, combined with the lack of street lighting and the frequency of drug and alcohol use at the venues in the area makes it too easy for fatal accidents to occur, regardless of whether or not there may be foul play involved as many have speculated.
Why do people think there’s a serial killer on the loose?
Last summer, the bodies of Karl Clemente (d. July 2023) and John Castic (d. August 2023), who had both been seen partying at the Brooklyn Mirage were also found in Newtown Creek; the causes of death were both reported as drowning, one accidental, the other undetermined. The similarities between these deaths and Alexander’s are already cause for suspicion, but there are additional details that have especially disturbed community members: on the night of his disappearance, Clemente was seen on security footage running in the area, leading some to believe that he was being chased, and Alexander was reported to have texted a friend that he felt he was in danger: “Alexander wrote, ‘I think dudes trynna kill me,’ then the club – ‘Knockdown center’ – and ‘Dudes waiting for me outside’” (source). As of this writing, there has been no description of a potential assailant.
So far, the families of Clemente and Castic have said that no foul play was suspected in either death, but Alexander’s mother believes that there is more to her son’s death than an accidental cause. At this time, we don’t have much info, so there are a few things to be mindful of.
First of all, Karl Clemente, John Castic, and Damani Alexander were loved and cherished human beings whose families and friends miss them dearly. Their deaths are tragic, no matter the circumstances. (Note, if anyone has any information or would like to circulate a memorial fund, please let us know.) As we allow their families to mourn and advocate for the proper investigation of their deaths, we must also consider that if there was indeed no foul play involved in any of these deaths, there are other probable causes could have been prevented on both an individual and a municipal level.
We know already that Newtown Creek is not safe in broad daylight, but adding in factors like substance use, unlit streets, and surging ride share prices increase the danger exponentially. Even when traveling by car, the area surrounding KC is notorious for fraudulent rideshares that pose as legit drivers and rob riders. And on top of all that is the fact that many Bushwig attendees are only in the area once a year and are often unfamiliar with navigating the area. That said, the best thing you can do to protect yourself is not to be scared, but to be cautious. The following advice works not only to protect yourself at Bushwig, but any time you go out:
Don’t go alone, and do not leave your friends alone. Any other tip we can give you is amplified by having people around you to watch your back when you can’t, plus, having even just one other person by your side deters anyone who may be seeking to harm others.
If you plan to drink or use drugs, exercise caution and harm reduction practices. If you are unfamiliar with the basics of harm reduction, there are many community based resources you can look to for guidance and supplies, I recommend @bk_hr_oc as a great place to start. Remember: the number one cause of overdose is using alone!
If you use a rideshare service like Lyft or Uber to get to and from the venue, be sure to check that the license plate matches the app info, and again, do not ride alone, cars will be cheaper that way anyways.
Apart from protecting your own, the city is on the hook here in a major way. After the deaths of Castic and Clemente, the Office of Nightlife allegedly made improvements to the safety of the area, specifically, “to curb unlicensed taxi pickups, improve lighting, and boost cell service” (source), but has not demonstrated how these improvements were made, if at all. Furthermore, as expressed in statements by city Council Members Jennifer Gutiérrez and Robert Holden, they are aware of the danger in the area and have been at least since Castic and Clemente died, and yet one year later, the fence is still short, the sidewalk is still dark, and another person is dead.
The events of the past two summers are cause for concern, but there is no need for us to live in fear or in suspicion of other members of our community. Bushwig is a powerful, beautiful even that brings us together each year, and this one will be no different. If there’s one thing you take away from this, let it be that having fun and taking care of each other are mutually exclusive!
xoxo, Orson
ADDENDUM 9/5/24: A community member advised us that in the 8 years Brooklyn Mirage has been open, there have never been this many deaths in the area so close together. Also, beyond police incompetence, identifying foul play in drowning deaths/bodies found underwater is difficult as evidence degrades especially rapidly, complicating assessment even when proper investigation takes place. As we are all already familiar with, police are more than incompetent, they actively obstruct justice, especially when it comes to marginalized people; it’s worth drawing particular attention to the fact that Damani Alexander, the most recent victim, was black, and therefore especially vulnerable to violence among both civilians and police, and his family is calling for thorough investigation of his death. Hopefully, the guidelines given above are a good start for helping us all avoid violence and stay safe, and if anyone has additional resources, please let us know!