The NYPD announced Saturday, April 9, that an arrest has been made in the case of the shooting of three teenagers who were shot, one fatally, in the vicinity of South Bronx High School, located north of the Mott Haven border in the South Bronx, on Friday, April 8.

 

During a press conference held Friday afternoon, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell described the incident “as a tragic shooting that took the life of a teen, a young woman with a bright future and injured two other teenagers who were struck by bullets on the streets of The Bronx.”

 

“At this point in our investigation, it appears that the brazen criminals opened fire during a dispute,” she said. “What I can say, with confidence, is that NYPD detectives will work tirelessly to bring those responsible for this to justice. We would also ask anyone with information to please call 1800-577-TIPS.”

 

Chief Tim McCormack later said the incident occurred at around 1.42 p.m. on Friday. “We received a 911 call for shots fired and people shot at the corner of 156 [Street] and St. Ann’s Avenue,” he said, adding that police have identified a suspect who had been standing on the southeast corner of 156th Street and St. Ann’s Avenue, who had been gesturing to another person who was on the southwest corner of 156th Street and St. Ann’s Avenue. “The gesturing went back and forth. The gentleman on the east side of the street pulls out a firearm and discharges his firearm in a westbound direction,” he said.

 

Watch live as @NYPDPC and NYPD executives provide an update on a shooting in the Bronx https://t.co/N8x6P02oYk

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 8, 2022

 

McCormack continued, “With that, we have three individuals, two female aged 16, and one male aged 17, walking on the south side of 156 Street between St. Ann’s and Cauldwell [Avenue]. All three were struck by projectiles, going down range. We have a female, 16, that is shot in the chest and she’s taken to the hospital and she’s pronounced [deceased] at Lincoln Hospital at about 14.14 hours, today. We have a female, 16, that is shot in the shin. We have a male, aged 17, that is shot in the buttocks. At this time, we have no identity on the shooter.  We are in the midst of identifying and notifying our victims and their families. I won’t release their names at this time because I want to have the opportunity to speak with them.

 

Asked if the incident was caught on surveillance video, McCormack said, “Yes, we do have video. That’s our way of determining where the perpetrator was standing.” Asked if it was known in which direction the shooters ran, McCormack said, “We’re following the video.”

 

McCormack added that he understood that the teens were coming from school and heading home at the time the shooting occurred, and that police were waiting on ballistics to be analyzed before confirming what type of weapon was involved. Asked to comment on concern by New Yorkers over public safety, McCormack said, “I think the commissioner has been very clear. She’s not going to tolerate the violence that’s been going on in the Bronx or in the City of New York. Our borough commanders in each borough are deploying their resources appropriately, and we’ll defend the safety of all individuals in New York City.”

 

State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda (S.D. 32), in whose district the shooting occurred, released a statement following the incident, saying, in part, “I am horrified by today’s drive-by shooting that affected three students in my district. While authorities are still investigating the incident, our community knows too deeply that, once again, guns are bringing grief to our families and to our community. Families and community members of the Bronx emphasize concern that these types of incidents are happening in broad daylight.”

 

He added, “I have long warned that the gun violence situation in our state and community is a multi-factorial matter that needs to be treated as a public health emergency. Guns continue to arrive in New York and find their victims in underserved communities like the Bronx. We must act with urgency to relieve our community of this danger. My condolences are with the family of the deceased student and I wish for a speedy recovery for the two currently in Lincoln Hospital. As elected officials, we must seek a real and effective solution to this violence that once again puts all of us in mourning in The Bronx.”

 

Police later confirmed, via email, that the 17-year-old male student and the 16-year-old female student who was shot in the leg were transported by EMS to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln in stable condition.

 

On Saturday, April 9, the NYPD held a further press conference outside the 40th precinct in the South Bronx and provided details of the arrest made in connection with the case. Sewell confirmed in the presence of her colleagues and District 17 City Council Member Rafael Salamanca, in whose district the shooting took place, that 17-year-old Jeremiah Ryan was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon.

 

Sewell said that while the fatal victim’s family was devastated by her loss, she prayed the arrest would bring some semblance of solace to them. The teen has since been named as Angellyh Marie Yambo Henriquez.

 

Sewell thanked her colleagues at Bronx Homicide and the 40th precinct detective squad for their work in bringing the perpetrator to justice. McCormack later said, “This case is not finished yet. It’s just the beginning. We’re still processing crimes. We’re still doing work with Jeremiah.”

 

Police confirmed that six shell casings were recovered from the scene, that the two female victims were located about a half a block away from the shooter, and the male victim was located about a block away from the shooter. In response to a question about how a 17-year-old had [apparently] gotten his hands on a ghost gun [a firearm assembled at home from several parts], McCormack said he didn’t have a answer for that right now and that Ryan had a hard-working mother, had reportedly no prior contact with police and “went from smoking marijuana to killing someone.”

https://t.co/mABXM4VwBI

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 9, 2022

 

As reported, police had provided assurances to the public in the context of the release of the March crime statistics, that they were deploying all available resources to prevent more violent crime in the City. The incident follows the fatal shooting on Monday, April 4, of a 61-year-old woman who was hit in cross fire in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx, amid a dispute among a group of young men, as reported.

 

On Thursday, April 7, as reported, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark and Sewell announced that 20 people, including four adolescent offenders, had been charged with various offenses related to murder, non-fatal shootings, and stabbings mainly in the areas of East Gun Hill Road, Hull Avenue and Decatur Avenue in Norwood and the surrounding area.

 

When contacted for comment, New York City Department of Education (DOE) released a statement by Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, who said of the Mott Haven incident, “This despicable act of violence stole the life from one young person today and wounded two others. As a father of four children, I can only imagine the immense pain these families are going through today.” He added, “These three children join over 20 other students who have been victims of gun violence this year in our city. I stand fully behind Mayor Adams as he works to rid our city of this violence, restore peace to our neighborhoods, and bring healing to these school communities.”

 

The DOE added that the incident occurred outside the South Bronx Educational Campus, and that the impacted students attend two different schools. The South Bronx Educational Campus contains Mott Haven Village Prep and University Heights Secondary School. The DOE representative added that one of the students attends the University Prep Charter High School. Asked for a comment about school safety, the representative said, “This happened outside the school, and the perpetrators are adults. This has nothing to do with the school.”

 

Norwood News has previously reported on number of a violent incidents some within the City’s schools, and some involving students but which occurred outside the schools, as well as a spate of recent bomb threats. Another non-school related shooting tragedy took place in Bedford Park, when one-year-old Baby Catherine was shot in Bedford Park on January 19, while in a car with her mother. She celebrated her first birthday on the night of a vigil held in her honor two nights later as she fought for her life in a City hospital.

 

On Sept. 19, 2021, the DOE confirmed to Norwood News that 5,000 school safety agents would be transferred from being overseen by the NYPD to the DOE by June 2022 and that this process was on track. Since the change of City administration, Norwood News has long sought to clarify definitively if this proposed policy, as reported last year, has since been abandoned. We have not received a response. However, City records continue to show that it is the NYPD and not the DOE which is actively recruiting for school safety agents.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson also released a statement, following the incident in which she lamented the tragic incident.

"We have been made aware of yet another tragic shooting in our borough. Two teenage girls and one teen boy were shot earlier today in the Bronx. We are currently in contact with the NYPD and the Mayor's Office awaiting additional information to share with the public.” pic.twitter.com/Ws7XX9gDTi

— Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson (@bronxbp) April 8, 2022

She later said, “It is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS that three teenagers have been shot this afternoon walking home from school in our Borough. I’m devastated and truly at a loss for words. This is horrible! So enraging. So heartbreaking. So sad. So disgusted. Asking for prayers for these families.”

 

She added, “I just don’t understand what is wrong with individuals who shoot aimlessly during the day, near schools, with absolutely no regard for human life. Some just don’t care!!!! We have learned that one of the students, a 16-year old female student has passed away!”

Angellyh’s mother Yanely Henriquez, later released the following statement, “As our family mourns the tragic loss of Angellyh Yambo, a young, beautiful soul, who had her whole life ahead of her, we thank all who have offered their condolences and support.” She added, “At this time, we ask for privacy to grieve as a family. We cherish the memory of Angie – a smart, talented, and caring young woman – who lost her life too soon to this senseless act of violence. Please keep our family in your prayers during this difficult time.”

A person arrested and accused of a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.