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Five Arrested in Shooting of Teenage Bronx Girl, Vigil Held
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 18, 2009
Modified Nov 18, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 18, 2009
Modified Nov 18, 2009
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Police have arrested five young men allegedly involved in the altercation that led to the shooting of innocent bystander Vada Vasquez, a 15-year-old Bronx girl who was chatting with a friend after school Monday afternoon when a stray bullet struck her in the head, shattering inside her skull. She is currently in critical condition and on a ventilator. The bullets were directed at Tyrone Creighton, 19, who was hit in the back as he fled five men who had confronted him outside a bodega near Bronx Latin School. Police believe revenge was the motive.
Creighton was targeted because his two brothers, both prisoners on Rikers Island, were involved in an assault on another prisoner at Rikers Island, according to police. That inmate had instructed his associates on the outside to seek revenge against Creighton. Last night and early this morning, cops rounded up five suspects between the ages of 16 and 23; according to City Room, they're all charged with attempted murder, criminal use of a firearm and armed assault. The youngest suspect, Carvette Gentile, 16, is believed to be the shooter. Creighton is in stable condition.
Last night hundreds of people gathered for a vigil at the scene of the shooting, carrying white candles and holding signs with messages such as "Stop Gun Violence" and "It Takes the Hood to Save the Hood." Bronx borough president Rubén Díaz Jr. told reporters, "We are out here because we’re frustrated. We’re tired of it. We’re fed up." And Mayor Bloomberg (who was not at the vigil) remarked yesterday, "Carrying an illegal gun is one of the dumbest and most dangerous things you can do and it's why an innocent young girl in the Bronx is now hanging on for dear life."
Doctors have told Vada's family that if she recovers, she will likely suffer from speech and memory problems. Her sister Allison Boodram tells the Daily News, "I've been crying so much tears, you didn't even know you had that many tears. She's still the same. No changes yet. She's fighting... Out of all the people there, why her? It always happens to the good kids, the ones who don't deserve it."
Tagged
arrest
bronx
gun violence
nyc
shooting
teen
Vada Vasquez
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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