Jaden Pierre was approached by several teens on a basketball court at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens when a shot was fired, striking him in the chest at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).<\/p>\n
He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital<\/a> in critical condition, where he later died.<\/p>\n The shooting, which unfolded at a public park where teenagers had gathered to play basketball, comes as New York City continues to grapple with youth violence and incidents captured and shared widely on social media.<\/p>\n HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE PARALYZED AFTER TRYING TO SAVE PAL DURING LATE-NIGHT BRAWL THAT ENDED IN GUNFIRE: REPORT<\/a><\/p>\n The NYPD is currently looking for the shooter of 15-year-old Jaden Pierre after receiving a gun shot would to the chest. (DCPI\/Peter Gerber)<\/p>\n One witness told CBS News, “I came over here, I heard a shot go off, so I came running over here to make sure everybody was okay, especially my friends, and I seen a kid lying dead. And I know him from coming over here to play basketball. Good basketball player, cool kid.”<\/p>\n Videos circulating on X appear to show moments leading up to the shooting, with a crowd surrounding Pierre and another person as the teenager is repeatedly punched before the group quickly disperses.<\/p>\n As of Saturday, no arrests have been made<\/a>, but the NYPD told Fox News Digital it released photos of a person wanted in connection with the shooting.<\/p>\n MACHETE-WIELDING SUSPECT CLAIMING TO BE ‘LUCIFER’ SHOT BY POLICE AFTER ALLEGEDLY STABBING 3 AT TRANSIT HUB<\/a><\/p>\n No arrests have been made regarding the case, but the NYPD has released photos of a person who may be connected to the shooting. (Peter Gerber)<\/p>\n New York Attorney General Letitia James reacted to the killing in a post on X, writing, “My heart is heavy tonight after we lost a 15-year-old to a senseless act of gun violence. I’m praying for his family, loved ones, and community. I will continue to work tirelessly every day to end gun violence in New York.”<\/p>\n Pastor Cory Brooks, founder of Project H.O.O.D., said in a statement to Fox News Digital that his heart was “shattered” as he condemned the crowd for filming the attack instead of stepping in.<\/p>\n “A 15-year-old child was hunted down, beaten, and shot dead in cold blood<\/a>,” Brooks wrote. “In a playground. Where laughter belongs. Not execution.”<\/p>\n The NYPD is asking anyone with information regarding the shooting of Jaden Pierre to contact them using the Crime Stoppers hotline. (Peter Gerber)<\/p>\n His statement continued: “The crowd did not run for help. They pulled out phones, recorded every brutal second, and cheered as if it were entertainment. That video does not just document a murder<\/a> \u2014 it exposes a generation whose conscience has been seared by moral darkness. These were our own children devouring our own children.”<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Teen-killed-following-dispute-on-basketball-court_02.jpeg\")
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