Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
After Being Shot In The Head, 12-Year-Old Girl Called 911 To Say Father Did It
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 25, 2015
Modified Jan 25, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 25, 2015
Modified Jan 25, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Twelve-year-old Christina Walker, who was shot in the head, managed to call 911 to alert them to the fact to the fact that her father had shot her, as well as her 7-year-old sister, mother and grandmother in their Queens home yesterday morning.
Christina and Kayla Walker
Christina's sister Kayla, mother Shantai Hale and grandmother Viola Warren all died from gunshot wounds to their heads, but Christina is currently in critical condition and in a medically induced coma. The NY Times wrote of Christina, "A bullet had exited near her eye. Her speech was muddled, her words a bit difficult to make out, according to Robert K. Boyce, the chief of detectives for the New York Police Department. But the girl pressed on, dialing 911 and even trudging downstairs to pull the door open for police officers."
Boyce said, "Her speech was somewhat limited, but we were able to get a very good statement from her."
The shootings occurred before 6 a.m., and the NYPD put out an alert for Jonathon Walker, noting that he was wanted for the murders at 231-11 148th Avenue, in Springfield Gardens. Police later found his body in a wooded area near JFK Airport; Walker had shot himself in the head.
Wendell Warren, Viola's brother, said, "Nobody knows why. We will be baffled for years." And City Councilman Donovan Richards said that Walker told a friend "he was going to get some beers and going home to watch Netflix with the family. We don’t know what made him snap when he came in."
Walker was a security guard and nightclub bouncer, and police say that he went from bedroom to bedroom in the Springfield Gardens home he shared with Hale, shooting his victims around 5:38 a.m.. Joseph Simmons, a cousin of Hale, told the Daily News, "He was looking at [Christina] when he shot her. She was looking at him. Literally looking at her. She was the one that called 911 and said, ‘My dad did it.’"
Simmons told the Times that Hale "had recently grown despondent about her relationship with Mr. Walker, a former professional basketball player in Europe who stood six-and-a-half feet tall. Ms. Hale had dropped out of high school after getting pregnant with Christina, he said, and lived with Mr. Walker for years without marrying. But recently she realized the relationship was crumbling, and she started to post spiritual sentiments on social media, Mr. Simmons said. 'He’s just not what he appeared to be,' Mr. Simmons said of Mr. Walker."
Walker's body was found at 11 a.m. by police officers. Chief Boyce said that Walker had called his brother in Las Vegas around 6 a.m., "Basically, he states to his brother, ‘What I did, I cannot come back from,’ and there’s a short conversation thereafter."
Wendell Warren indicated to the Post that Walker had gotten a gun license 'because he was going to go into private security."
As for Christina, Simmons said, "Actually, she’s doing well. When he went to shoot her, she just happened to move for a quick second and it went through her head, through the nostril cavity and out the top of her eye. So it was almost like that split second kind of saved her life."
Tagged
fatal shooting
Jonathon Walker
murder
queens
tragedy
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYPD searching for suspect after fatal stabbing in Queens
Officers responding to a call at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and 173rd Street around 1 a.m. found 29-year-old Sulimon Ferrier, who had multiple stab wounds to his chest, police said.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 4:38 p.m. ET
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
News
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
Astoria-born Chip City announces sudden closure days after former CEO sues
By
Catalina Gonella
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
By
Willow Higgins
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .