Shocking footage has emerged showing a suspect with a backpack firing at a 15-year-old boy during a violent altercation in a Queens park on Thursday night. Sources indicate the tragic incident occurred as children had gathered for a water balloon fight.
The distressing video captures a group of teens aggressively attacking Jaden Pierre, the victim, at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans. The clip shows one individual shooting him at close range, causing him to collapse.
The 24-second video, shared on X by former Mayor Eric Adams, depicts a chaotic crowd encircling the deadly encounter near Nautilus Playground, cheering before a single gunshot is heard.
“A 15-year-old kid was beaten and shot to death at a Southeast Queens playground yesterday,” Adams commented on the post.
“And somehow this isn’t the top story. Credit to AG Letitia James & BP Richards for speaking up. Where is everyone else, including @NYCMayor Mamdani? Outrage shouldn’t depend on zip code. Every child deserves protection.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not made any public statements regarding the shooting, and City Hall did not respond to requests for comment.
According to police, Pierre was shot in the torso shortly before 6:20 p.m. on Thursday and was found on the park ground when officers arrived after a 911 call. The severely injured teenager was transported to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
New surveillance images, released by the NYPD on Friday afternoon, show the suspect, who appears young, wearing a light-colored sweatsuit and a black backpack, glancing at his phone and holding a soda bottle while walking on the sidewalk.
The lethal shooting unfolded when a group of teens met in the park for a water balloon fight amid unusually high temperatures in New York City, according to law enforcement sources. The event turned chaotic when a fight broke out, though the cause of the conflict was unclear on Friday.
The 15-year-old was reportedly the intended target of the attack, with police investigating potential gang-related motives, sources suggest.
A regular visitor to the park named AJ, who knew the victim, remarked on Thursday, “These badass little kids always wanna come here, fight, and do dumb s—t.”
“I came over here, heard a shot go off, and I came running over here to make sure everyone was OK, especially my friends,” AJ said. “And I see a kid lying dead, and I know him from coming over here to play basketball. He’s a good basketball player. Cool kid.”
No arrests had been made by Friday evening.
The NYPD is urging anyone with information on the suspect’s location to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit tips by visiting the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.
