Two teenagers are among the four suspects who have been arrested on charges of murder and gang assault. This follows after they allegedly opened fire on a crowd that had gathered over the weekend for a basketball tournament at a park in New York City. One man was killed and four others were injured, according to the New York Police Department.
The gunfire broke out around 7:27 p.m. on Saturday within Haffen Park in the Bronx, causing the crowd to disperse and seek shelter. The police stated that at least 48 shell casings were collected from the scene.
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The arrested suspects include Daeven Reyes, a 20-year-old, and Robert Royal, a 25-year-old, both residents of the Bronx. The names of the two minor suspects, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, have been withheld. Each suspect has been charged with murder, four counts of attempted murder, gang assault, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Officers were dispatched to Haffen Park in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx following 911 calls reporting multiple shootings. The shooting occurred while a crowd had gathered for a youth basketball tournament.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 32-year-old man who had been shot in the chest and a 17-year-old girl who had been shot in the head. Both were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. The male victim, identified as Jaceil Banks, was pronounced dead on arrival. The teenage girl, identified by her family as Anthonaya Campbell, remains in critical condition.
Three other victims of the park shooting arrived at hospitals in private vehicles. These include a 30-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, both shot in the back and listed in stable condition. A 42-year-old man, shot in the arm, was also taken to Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, where his condition was reported as stable on Sunday. The motivation behind the shooting is still being investigated by the police.
The NYPD has responded to mass casualty shootings involving gang members on two consecutive weekends. Three men were killed and 11 were injured in an Aug. 17 incident in which multiple shooters opened fire inside the Taste of the City Lounge, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood. Two of the perpetrators from the lounge incident are still at large.
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The facts point to a decrease in homicides citywide by 19.6% so far this year compared to the same year-to-date period in 2024. The number of shooting victims is down 19.4% this year compared to 2024, and the number of shooting incidents has fallen by nearly 20% over the same period compared to the previous year, according to recent NYPD crime statistics. However, this situation raises important questions about the ongoing efforts to curb gun violence.