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16-year-old Bronx teen who was fatally shot may have been handling a gun that mistakenly fired
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Aug 11, 2026
Modified Aug 20, 2026
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By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Aug 11, 2026
Modified Aug 20, 2026
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A teenager who was fatally shot in the Bronx early Monday morning may have been handling a gun that mistakenly fired, according to police.
Officials said they were investigating that possibility after first responders found 16-year-old John Nunez around 5:15 a.m. with a gunshot wound to his head inside a three-story home on Prospect Avenue and Freeman Street in Crotona Park.
EMS workers pronounced him dead at the scene, and police said they were looking for a male wearing a white shirt who fled the home in an unknown direction. Police said it was unclear whether the suspect lived there. Nunez lived about half a mile away, according to the NYPD.
Police did not make any immediate arrests.
Nunez is at least the 11th teen to die of gun violence in New York City so far this year, according to police reports compiled by Gothamist. A total of 25 teenagers were shot and killed across the five boroughs last year, according to Gothamist’s records.
Though gun violence continues to trend down by a few percentage points this year, the number of teenagers suspected in shootings has been on the rise.
An earlier version of this story misstated the number of teens that have been killed by gun violence in New York City this year.
Tagged
nypd
shooting
teen
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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