ST. ALBANS, Queens (PIX11) — An 18-year-old is under arrest in connection with the deadly shooting of a 15-year-old in a Queens park, police announced on Saturday.
Zahir Davis, 18, was charged with murder after Jaden Pierre was beaten and shot in Roy Wilkins Park on April 16, according to authorities.
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Police had been on the hunt for Davis, who is an alleged member of the BG4 gang in southeast Queens and had an ongoing feud with the victim, according to the NYPD.
“Unfortunately, you had a bunch of kids one day 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,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny during a press briefing Tuesday.
Authorities say the day started as a wholesome water gun fight organized by Pierre on social media.
“So basically, the reason for the event was non-criminal. It was like a wholesome water gun fight, but others took it as an opportunity,” Kenny said.
Violent video of the incident reviewed by police showed Pierre being cornered into a fence near the park bathroom and beaten by a suspect who also jumped him in January, law enforcement officials previously reported.
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Davis then appeared to pistol-whip Pierre in the head before he fired one shot into the boy’s chest, Kenny said.
“I heard the shots go off, so I came running to see if everyone was okay, especially my friends, and I see a kid lying dead, and I know him from playing basketball. He’s a good basketball player,” said one witness at the scene.
A makeshift memorial has since been set up at the park where the teen was killed.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
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