NYPD: Gang-related fight in Morrisania schoolyard led to shooting of 16-year-old girl; 14-year-old in custody
Police confirm Evette Jeffrey was fatally shot outside the schoolyard at Bronx Latin High School.
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A gang-related fight preceded a schoolyard shooting that killed a 16-year-old girl Monday night in Morrisania, the NYPD said.
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested in the fatal shooting of Evette Jeffrey. Police say the 14-year-old is charged with three counts of murder, one count of manslaughter and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that the schoolyard fight followed another fight that happened at the school earlier in the day. They say the 14-year-old was punched in the face before he brandished the firearm and let off three rounds into a crowd of students.
"[Jeffrey] was an innocent bystander who was simply trying to take cover behind a brick wall and was struck in the head by one of the rounds," he said.
She was later pronounced dead at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.
Kenny identified the rival gangs involved in the fights as KOD (Kreep on Davidson) and FOE (Forest Over Everything).
The investigation lasted 18 hours. On Tuesday morning, investigators observed the 14-year-old getting into a taxi - then fled police on foot before being apprehended.
Police say the teen has "prior interactions" with the NYPD.
Police say Jeffrey is not a student at Bronx Latin. She attended neighboring Morris High School.
The victim's grandmother said Jeffrey was an only child with dreams of becoming a medical technical and attending college. She described Jeffrey as a normal teenage girl who loved music, her pets and had many friends.
“You took her away from us…took away from me,” said the grandmother.
