HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) — A Brooklyn family is remembering Kinu Rochford, a man they say brought light to everyone around him.
Rochford was shot and killed during a basketball tournament in Central Harlem, and on Sunday, loved ones gathered at Wingate Park in Brooklyn, just a block from his home, to honor his life and legacy. The vigil remained ongoing as friends, family, and neighbors came together to share memories and support one another.
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Outside his home, a makeshift memorial of blue and white candles forms a “K,” honoring his favorite color and the impact he left behind.
Police say just after 10 p.m. Friday, officers responded to shots fired at a basketball court at King Towers on Lenox Avenue in Central Harlem. Officers found three people shot, including 35-year-old Rochford, who was hit in the head. He later died at the hospital. The other two victims are expected to recover.
Rochford was well known in the community for basketball, not just as a player, but as someone who showed up for others and stayed connected to the neighborhood.
His mother, Eden Rochford, described him as a source of joy and positivity.
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“He was that guy, he’s funny, he’s positive, he wants everybody to do good, he wants everybody to be happy, so why did they have to take him.. why?”
She says the support pouring in since his death has been overwhelming.
“Have you seen social media? I can’t open my phone without and it’s nothing bad; everything that people say about Kinu was positive.”
Mayor Mamdani also reacted, saying he is heartbroken for Rochford’s family, calling the shooting senseless and pledging continued efforts to prevent violence.
For Eden, the love surrounding her son now reflects the life he lived.
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“He, himself, is actually celebrating his life because he just has to feel the love.”
But along with that love comes grief, and questions she says still have no answers.
“First of all, who comes to a basketball with a gun, why?”
Still, she says her son’s presence hasn’t faded.
“He was a light, a shining light and he will always be and still is.”
Back at Wingate Park during the vigil, his light continues to shine through the crowd gathered in his name, a community holding on to his memory.
Eden Rochford is now proposing that Wingate Park be renamed in her son’s honor, saying it was a place he loved and where he often played basketball.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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