NEW YORK (PIX11) — A Brooklyn family is heartbroken after 14-year-old Johary Cantave was shot and killed late Friday night in Sunset Park.
Police say the teen was struck in the head while sitting in a car, leaving loved ones searching for answers and struggling to understand how such a tragedy could happen.
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“I can’t believe this,” Johary’s older brother told PIX11 News, describing his sibling as kind-hearted and always looking out for everyone. “He liked playing basketball, he liked playing games. He was looking to be a mechanic.”
According to investigators, Johary was in the passenger seat of a car near 46th Street and Ninth Avenue, talking with a friend on a scooter when three people wearing ski masks approached.
Police say after a brief argument with the boy on the scooter, one of the suspects opened fire, hitting Johary. The teen’s friend drove him to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.
Hours before the shooting, Johary’s brother said he spoke with him for the last time, a memory that now weighs heavily. “I told him, ‘Safety, bro. Just make it home, don’t stay out too long.’”
Now, the Cantave family is left with pain and unanswered questions. “He was always looking out for everybody,” his brother said. “I can’t understand or picture this being real.”
Police are still searching for the three suspects who ran from the scene.
The family has not yet decided whether to hold a vigil in Johary’s memory. Anyone with information is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers.
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