Authorities in New York City are searching for the shooter who killed a 15-year-old in Queens.
Jaden Pierre was approached by several teens on a basketball court at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens when a shot was fired, striking him in the chest at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
The shooting, which unfolded at a public park where teenagers had gathered to play basketball, comes as New York City continues to grapple with youth violence and incidents captured and shared widely on social media.
One witness told CBS News, “I came over here, I heard a shot go off, so I came running over here to make sure everybody was okay, especially my friends, and I seen a kid lying dead. And I know him from coming over here to play basketball. Good basketball player, cool kid.”
Videos circulating on X appear to show moments leading up to the shooting, with a crowd surrounding Pierre and another person as the teenager is repeatedly punched before the group quickly disperses.
As of Saturday, no arrests have been made, but the NYPD told Fox News Digital it released photos of a person wanted in connection with the shooting.
New York Attorney General Letitia James reacted to the killing in a post on X, writing, “My heart is heavy tonight after we lost a 15-year-old to a senseless act of gun violence. I’m praying for his family, loved ones, and community. I will continue to work tirelessly every day to end gun violence in New York.”
Pastor Cory Brooks, founder of Project H.O.O.D., said in a statement to Fox News Digital that his heart was “shattered” as he condemned the crowd for filming the attack instead of stepping in.
“A 15-year-old child was hunted down, beaten, and shot dead in cold blood,” Brooks wrote. “In a playground. Where laughter belongs. Not execution.”
His statement continued: “The crowd did not run for help. They pulled out phones, recorded every brutal second, and cheered as if it were entertainment. That video does not just document a murder — it exposes a generation whose conscience has been seared by moral darkness. These were our own children devouring our own children.”
The NYPD is asking anyone with information about the shooter to call its Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish.
Tips can also be submitted online through the Crime Stoppers website or on X at @NYPDTIPS.
