Friends and family gathered at Lawrence H. Woodward Funeral Home in Brooklyn on Aug. 25 to celebrate the life of Riley Billingslea, who was gunned down on Aug. 12 while spending time with what his family called the wrong crowd.

Police stood outside the funeral parlor as grieving teens clung to their parents and wept over the loss of someone so young. Elaine Rogers, Billingslea’s grandmother and legal guardian with whom he lived in the Bronx, spoke with amNewYork through tears, urging the teens who were inside the apartment to come forward.

“We understand that there was more than just one person in the room, and you know everyone’s got something to say, but they’re obviously not talking to the cops,” Rogers said. “So I would like to ask the kids — I don’t want to put them in any danger — but I would like for them to speak. This person needs to be off the streets. From what I’m hearing of [the shooter], he’s not a really good person. I know what he did to my grandson.”

Elaine Rogers, Billingslea’s grandmother and legal guardian with whom he lived in the Bronx, spoke with amNewYork through tears, urging the teens who were inside the apartment to come forward. photo by Dean Moses Family and friends were left in heartache.Photo by Dean Moses

“What about the person that lives in that apartment, the grandmother? Where are they in all of this? Where are the answers from them?” she implored.

According to police, Billingslea had gathered with friends in a fifth-floor apartment at 2825 Claflin Ave. when the shooting occurred. Authorities allege that the suspect, whom police identified as 16-year-old Kalvin Veloz, suddenly pulled a handgun from his backpack and opened fire.

“He produces a firearm from his backpack, inserts a magazine, racks the gun back, and makes a statement: ‘I’m going to throw some pain.’ And at that point, he shoots Riley in the head, killing him instantly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.

Police said Veloz also allegedly grazed a 13-year-old boy in the chest after a bullet struck a wall and ricocheted. Billingslea was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rogers said her grandson had previously lived with his mother in Brooklyn but began spending time with what she described as bad influences. The family later enrolled him in military school, but the arrangement did not work out, and he moved in with Rogers in the Bronx.

Despite the change, she said, he again fell in with the wrong crowd.

Emotion overcame family.Photo by Dean Moses Family and friends were left in heartache.Photo by Dean Moses

The grief-stricken Rogers pleaded with those who were with Billingslea that day to tell investigators what happened.

“He’s going to meet friends wherever he goes, and those friends unfortunately led him to that apartment,” Rogers said. “I want his friends to speak up. If you are truly a friend, then it’s not enough to just come tell me. I need you to tell someone who’s going to be able to do something about it.”

Outside the funeral home, mourners formed a prayer circle before entering. Family members asked attendees to wear blue in Billingslea’s honor, while others wore t-shirts bearing his image.

Bishop Boyde Singletary said the killing has devastated not only the family but the wider community.

“The mother is hurting, the grandma is hurting, the school, the family. It’s overwhelming,” Singletary said. “They need to come forth to explain.”

Although Billingslea had fallen in with the wrong crowd, Rogers described him as a kind-hearted teenager who often helped neighbors carry groceries. Police also said he had no criminal record.

“I will remember him as a fun-loving, caring person, able to speak to anyone,” Rogers said. “He was about fun and respect. I’ve always told him to be respectful, and I heard a woman speaking about how respectful he was to her, helping her carry her bags.”

Meanwhile, Veloz remains on the run.
Outside the funeral home, mourners formed a prayer circle before entering. Family members asked attendees to wear blue in Billingslea’s honor, while others wore T-shirts bearing his photograph.Photo by Dean Moses