WABC: Overall crime rates are falling across the Bronx, but gun violence is rising among teens and young adults.
As Gun Violence Awareness Month kicks off, leaders in the Bronx are highlighting a concerning pattern of youth gun violence.
“Our community is still reeling from the killing of 16-year-old Evette Jeffrey,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark.
Investigators say Evette Jeffrey was killed after a 14-year-old boy, who had been punched and knocked to the ground during a school-yard fight, was slipped a pistol by someone and then allegedly fired three shots into a crowd.
Jeffrey, an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.
So far in 2025, the NPYD has tracked 38 shooting victims under the age of 21, and 64 minors arrested on gun-related charges.
“I am tired of having a parent tell me ‘I lost my only child,’” Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson told Eyewitness News. “We cannot and we will not ignore these numbers.”
In response to the gun violence crisis, Bronx leaders are urging parents to enroll their children in youth programs like BronxConnect’s Release the Grip, which aims to keep kids off the street by funneling them into internships and after-school programs.
“I grew up in the Bronx. I do not wanna arrest anyone, let alone another teenager with a gun … because at 13, 12, 14, that’s a hard start to life,” said NYPD Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley. “When the handcuffs are on, it’s too late. When the ambulance is coming, it’s too late. When we’re talking to someone in the hospital bed, it’s too late. It has to start in the home.”
