Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Police arrest 14-year-old boy in Bronx killing of teen bystander who was near her home
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Catalina Gonella
Published May 13, 2025
Modified May 13, 2025
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 .
via Facebook
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Catalina Gonella
Published May 13, 2025
Modified May 13, 2025
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
The family of a 16-year-old girl who was shot and killed as a bystander outside a Bronx school while she was heading home called for justice Tuesday as police arrested a 14-year-old boy who they say fired the gun.
NYPD officials said Evette Jeffrey died after being hit in her head by a stray bullet around 5 p.m. Monday near Home Street and Tinton Avenue in Morrisania. The shooting happened next to Bronx Latin, a prestigious middle and high school, and Jeffrey was pronounced dead at Lincoln Hospital.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon that police identified the suspect, whom he did not name, through surveillance videos and witness interviews. Fugitive task force detectives and U.S. Marshal Service members arrested the boy at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Rev. James A. Polite Ave. and East 163rd St. in Longwood, Kenny said.
“As the perpetrator attempted to enter a taxi, he realized the presence of police and tried to flee the scene, but our officers moved in quickly and apprehended him without further incident,” he said.
According to police, the 14-year-old is involved in a gang called KOD, or Kreeps on Davidson, which is allegedly a rival of one called FOE, or Forest Over Everything. Before the shooting, the suspect had been in a fist fight with another unidentified boy at the schoolyard, Kenny said.
“The altercation then carried out onto the walkway behind the school, where another individual ran up and punched the shooter,” he said. “And that person, we believe, was the intended target.”
But the bullet hit Jeffrey instead, according to authorities. Her family and friends told reporters she was riding a scooter back to her apartment from the old Morris High School building a few blocks away, where she went to school. The family’s home is just a short walk from where the shooting took place.
“I don’t forgive you. I hold your family responsible, because they should be watching,” Jeffery’s grandmother Lizette Ramirez said of the shooter. “She’s forever 16. You took her away from us.”
At the family’s building Tuesday morning, Ramirez and Jeffrey’s mother, Kristen Abad, said they were still processing the 16-year-old’s death. They said Jeffrey dreamed of becoming a medical technician when she grew up, had several pets she adored and was excited to go to college.
The block near Home Street and Tinton Avenue in Morrisania where officials say Evette Jeffrey was killed.
Brittany Kriegstein / Gothamist
Mayor Eric Adams visited the scene Monday night and said the suspected shooter was a 14-year-old boy who once threatened his mother with a gun. There was a heavy NYPD presence around Bronx Latin on Tuesday morning as students arrived.
Jeffrey is the 10th teen to die from gun violence so far this year, according to police data compiled by Gothamist. Shootings in the 42nd Precinct, which includes Morrisania, Claremont and Crotona Park, have remained level with last year’s number around this time, the data shows.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
new york city
morrisania
public safety
bronx
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].
Read more
Catalina Gonella
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 .