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NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — A young boy was killed in a triple shooting in the Bronx on Saturday.
The NYPD identified the victim as 12-year-old Jacob Freytes. He is the son of a retired NYPD sergeant detective, according to the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
The child was not the intended target of this shooting, according to police sources. Local leaders are calling him an innocent bystander.
William Ferrer, 45, of the Bronx was arrested Sunday. He is facing a slew of charges, including second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.
Ferrer had nothing to say as he was escorted out of the 44th Precinct stationhouse in handcuffs. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is being held without bail.
“No arrest can ever ease the pain of this unimaginable loss, but the NYPD will continue to do everything in our power to seek justice for Jacob,” Tisch wrote on social media.
Here’s what police say happened Saturday
The gun violence erupted in broad daylight at around 5 p.m. in front of a bodega on Elliot Place in the Mount Eden section of the borough.
Surveillance video shows the 12-year-old on his bike as shots ring out, and then he is seen running inside the business for help. Police later said the boy was shot in the left shoulder and was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died. Officials said the bodega did have a panic button inside, but it’s unclear if it was used.
Two other people were also shot, including a 25-year-old man and a 34-year-old man. Authorities said they are in stable condition.
The tragic loss of life has shaken the neighborhood. Neighbors described a chaotic scene.
“All of a sudden, I heard like two gunshots going off. I thought they were fireworks, but then I heard, like, commotion going on,” Alex Peralta said, adding, “I look out the window, I saw people, like, running away. I saw guys going into their cars in the driveway, and they just drove off real quick.”
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The United Bodega Association had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the boy’s shooting, and the New York State Federation of Taxis drivers put forth a $10,000 reward for information pertaining to the two other people who were shot.
The organizations held a joint news conference on Sunday morning, demanding an end to gun violence in and around their businesses. They specifically singled out the Bronx and Brooklyn.
“We cannot accept this violence as normal”
On Sunday, just around the corner from where the 12-year-old was shot, there was a growing memorial of candles, flowers, and messages outside his building from a community that knew him by his nickname, “Kai.”
“I started crying. Me and Kai had been childhood best friends. He was a nice kid. He didn’t deserve that,” Marlyn Rosario said.
Not long after the shooting, elected officials took to social media to denounce the violence.
“Our children should be able to ride their bikes on a nice summer day in their neighborhood without fear of being shot. We cannot accept this violence as normal,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
“We have to do better,” Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson added.
“We mourn with 12-year-old Jacob Freytes’ family. Nothing could be more tragic: An innocent child on his bike, killed by a stray bullet. Our children’s safety is our collective responsibility. We must meet this crisis by urgently implementing strategies proven to make us safer,” the office of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams wrote on social media.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
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