A deadly shooting and a separate stabbing involving teenagers just minutes apart in East New York are adding to concerns about violence involving young people across New York City this summer.
Police say 17-year-old Ahmir Jordan was
shot in the head Wednesday night near 514 New Lots Ave. He was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he later died.
By Thursday afternoon, the crime tape was gone and traffic was moving again. But three bullet holes could still be seen in the glass of a restaurant.
Amia Kavanagh, who lives in East New York, said the shooting hit close to home.
“He’s not that much younger than myself, so it’s kind of crazy to see,” she said.
Police said a 13-year-old and 15-year-old were stabbed in the abdomen, while a 16-year-old was slashed in the arm. The younger girls were taken to Brookdale in stable condition. The 16-year-old was treated at the scene.
Police said the attack followed a dispute. Viola Bouyer, 44, was arrested and charged with eight counts of assault and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
For parents in the neighborhood, the violence is difficult to ignore.
“You don’t know what to do,” said Turran, who lives nearby. “As a parent ... to get your kids safe is very hard.”
The concern goes beyond Wednesday night. Other teenagers have been shot in Brooklyn this summer, and violence involving young people has also hit the Bronx. Last week alone, two teens were shot and killed there and two others were shot and injured.
In East New York, violence prevention group Man Up! Inc. says its outreach teams are working to stop conflicts before they lead to more violence.
Founder and CEO A.T. Mitchell Mann said the neighborhood has made progress and that violence is down in areas where his group works. But he said intervention teams do not have enough resources to cover every part of East New York around the clock.
“We’ve been doing all that we can within our means,” Mann said. “Unfortunately, things are going to happen that are outside of our control.”
Mann said his team began outreach after the latest violence and is working to prevent retaliation. He also said more funding would allow the group to put more trained outreach workers into areas it currently cannot cover.
City Hall called the shooting and stabbing “horrific acts of violence” and said the Office of Community Safety and Crisis Management System partners are working in East New York to support residents and prevent further violence.
The mayor’s office also said the incidents are a reminder that more work needs to be done, even as overall crime has fallen.
For some neighbors, the goal is much simpler than any statistic.
“I’m just trying to stay alive the best way I could, stay to myself, mind my business and try to stay alive,” Turran said.
For families in the neighborhood, the hope is that young people can leave home — and make it back safely.