Teenage Girl Tragically Killed in Bronx Crossfire

In a tragic turn of events, a 16-year-old girl named Evette Jeffrey was caught in a crossfire during an altercation that took place on May 12, becoming the unintended casualty of a fatal shooting. Two pubescent boys are currently facing charges related to her unfortunate death.

One of the accused, a 13-year-old male, was apprehended and formally charged on Monday. His charges include second-degree murder among other serious accusations, all in connection with Evette Jeffrey’s death. He is the second teenager to be implicated in the fatal incident that took place close to a school building in the southern part of the Bronx.

The tragic incident unraveled in the wake of a tussle at a schoolyard located in the Morrisania neighbourhood. Evette was a mere bystander who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, thus becoming the unintended victim of the shooting on the fateful day of May 12.

The other male facing charges, who is a 14-year-old, was taken into custody last week. His charges are similar to his younger counterpart and include allegations of murder and various weapon-related offences in relation to the fatal incident. Given their juvenile status, the identity of the boys has been withheld from the public.

Clarity remained elusive on Monday as law enforcement officials weren’t certain about which of the two boys was actually responsible for firing the lethal bullet that hit Evette in the head, resulting in her death.

Jessica Tisch, who serves as the police commissioner, has previously expressed her deep concern about the growing pattern of crime involving youth. There has been a noteworthy decrease in both juvenile victims and offenders in the last three years, nonetheless, the numbers are still relatively higher compared to the figures before the pandemic swept across the globe.

According to the latest police records, by Sunday, the total count of minor victims who had suffered from gunshots this year had reached 39. In contrast, this count was significantly lower, standing at 17 during the corresponding period in 2018.

The statistic showing the count of minor offenders is equally alarming. The data shows that so far this year, the police have identified a minimum of 27 minor-age offenders, compared to just 16 in the equivalent period back in 2018.

On that unfortunate afternoon of May 12, at around 5 pm, a group of young students were seen leaving the schoolyard at Home Street and Tinton Avenue. This site is in close vicinity to a building that accommodates three educational institutions, namely the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School, Bronx Latin, and the Bronx Career and College Preparatory High School.

Following their departure from the schoolyard, chaos ensued when a confrontation broke out among the children, as they sauntered into a walkway that runs alongside the school block according to the police reports.

Amid the commotion, a boy was seen assaulting another child, landing a punch in his face, followed by a frantic frenzy where multiple children were hit. Intensifying the chaos, the group then decided to relocate to Union Avenue, which is a block east of their present location, says the police report.

The situation took a horrifying turn when the boy who had been at the receiving end of the initial punch retaliated by rushing towards his initial attacker. At this moment, an unidentified person handed a gun to the initially attacked boy.

Within moments, the boy who had been handed the weapon unleashed terror by discharging three rounds from the gun into the crowd. Chillingly, one of the shots found its way to Evette’s head.

Evette, who was a high school student at a nearby institution and had no involvement in the brawl, had been innocently riding a scooter down the walkway. As the shots rang out, and the situation turned terrifying, a male friend tried desperately but in vain, to pull her to safety behind a brick wall.

Officials arriving at the scene in response to 911 calls and notifications from a gunfire detection system performed their duties diligently. The injury however, was too severe for Evette, and despite the emergency workers rushing her to Lincoln Hospital, she was declared dead on arrival.