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300 Mourners Gather at Vigil for Man Mistakenly Slain by Gang
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 16, 2009
Modified Sep 16, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 16, 2009
Modified Sep 16, 2009
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Relatives, friends, teachers, and students gathered last night to mourn the tragic death of Glen Wright, who was stabbed to death outside his grandmother's East Village building because gang members mistook him for someone else. (We noted this devastating story yesterday, and like many, we're still profoundly saddened.) Wright, who died at age 21, was taking a break from helping his grandmother wash windows at the Baruch Houses on the Lower East Side when a group of men approached him. Suspect Joel Herrera, 20, is accused of stabbing Wright repeatedly in the neck; he told detectives he confused Wright with someone who assaulted one of his friends. Cops are searching for the other assailants.
Last night's vigil was held at the East Harlem Tutorial Program, where Wright mentored children and was known for his skill at building robots. That so many mourners attended only underscores what relatives and friends have said about Wright, that he was a kind, thoughtful young man with a bright future. Besides volunteering and caring for his younger brother with Down syndrome, Wright was enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and an avid skateboarder. Danny Peralta, a former coach of Wright's robotics team, told the Times, "He was one of those kids that honestly ran away from trouble and violence, and for it to catch up to him like that, it’s just the worst thing I can think of."
The Daily News has more on the vigil, and a heartbreaking news segment from WABC is below. Wright's funeral will be held on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at Benta's Funeral Home, 630 St. Nicholas Avenue. If you'd like to make a donation to the East Harlem Tutorial Program in Glen Wright's name or get involved, you can do so here.
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baruch houses
east harlem
funeral
glen wright
Lower East Side
memorial
nyc
stabbing
vigil
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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