Concerned Queens residents gathered Tuesday night for an emergency meeting after a 15-year-old was fatally shot in Roy Wilkins Park last week.
“I think it’s a crisis because our children are dying. Is that not a crisis?” Sheryl Levertt, a community member, said.
What You Need To Know
Concerned Queens residents gathered Tuesday night for an emergency meeting after a 15-year-old was fatally shot in Roy Wilkins Park last week
The urgency was fueled by new details of the shooting death of 15-year-old Jaden Pierre at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans
Investigators now believe both the victim and the suspected shooter were involved in an ongoing feud
The urgency was fueled by new details of the shooting death of 15-year-old Jaden Pierre at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans.
According to police, at least six different gangs were at the park last Thursday night.
Investigators now believe both Pierre and the suspected shooter were involved in an ongoing feud.
Police said they believe the gunman is 18-year-old Zahir Davis, who they say is part of an emerging gang known across multiple precincts with ties to students at Cardozo High School.
“We don’t want young people thinking it’s not OK to go to the park, and it’s not OK to live,” Au Hogan, the chief of streets for Life Campaign, said.
Inside the gym was frustration, but also solutions. Many point to a lack of structured programs for young people in the area.
Calls grow louder for everyone to work together before more lives are lost.
“We need to get together because together we are stronger,” Kimlin Greig, a community member, said.
The investigation remains ongoing as community leaders push to turn this moment into action and prevent the next tragedy.