NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny made the revelation less than 24-hours after Attorney General Letitia James held Shanelle Weston, the boy’s grieving mother, during an emotional vigil inside Roy Wilkins Park.
“I want everyone to know that the police know who shot Jaden. In fact, they even know where he is. I would urge this gentleman to turn yourself in, to surrender as soon as possible, before the NYPD gets to you or the community. They know who you are. They know where you are. And I would urge you to surrender, “ James said.
According to Kenny, the shooter has been identified as 18-year-old Zahir Davis and is reportedly a BG4 gang member, an emerging crew the NYPD has been monitoring for about a year now. Police say a feud has been ongoing between Pierre and the teen, who punched him in the caught-on-camera attack before Davis allegedly pulled the trigger.
A Queens community witnessed firsthand the pain of a mother’s loss on Monday night as she pleaded for her “baby” — 15-year-old Jaden Pierre, who was shot dead at a park last week.Photo by Dean Moses
“The victim [Pierre] was jumped by that kid and assaulted, and then our victim’s crew caught him slipping and jumped and beat him up. So it’s been an ongoing feud,” Kenny said.
The fight was also reportedly over several teen girls, police sources said.
Police say Pierre was first assaulted and taunted by the assailant who threw the punch, whom law enforcement sources have yet to identify, before Davis got involved and brandished the firearm.
“The kid that is doing most of the punching is screaming at him, taunting him, teasing him, while he’s punching him, and then you see the shooter step back. He pulls out the pistol. It appears that he’s trying to pistol whip him, and when he hits him, the gun comes down to his chest, and the gun goes off,” Kenny said.
Police have yet to determine if the shooting was intentional.
Wanted posters depicting surveillance images of the shooter were posted on street lights all around the playground, the paper fluttering on the wet wind.Photo by Dean Moses
The water gun fight drew hundreds of kids and circulated online in the days leading up to the fight. Kenny stated that Pierre himself was listed as a host of the event. These gatherings have become known as “takeovers” and are becoming an increasing issue for the department.
“You had a bunch of kids there to have fun and play, but then you also had numerous gang members from the area, multiple different gangs showed up, and then they crossed paths, and this is what led to the shooting,” Kenny said. “We had a similar incident in the Bronx in Starlight Park, where kids showed up with water guns and these gel guns to have a little playful fight, and someone took offense to it and shot a kid in the head and killed him.”
The death of Pierre has not only left the family in mourning but also the community at large. Children and seniors alike were left in tears on Monday night during the vigil for the teen as his family mourned his loss.
“I love you, Jaden, I love you with everything in me, my heart, my blood, my soul, everything from my head to my toes,” said Gardy Pierre, the slain teen’s father.