A 15-year-old boy was killed and another teenager wounded in a shooting Thursday night outside a Police Athletic League facility in The Bronx.
According to police, the teens were leaving a community basketball game organized by police around 9 p.m. Thursday when an argument broke out between two groups of people.
Police said a person appeared to have opened fire.
The 15-year-old, named Josue López-Ortega, was shot in the head, according to authorities. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital in critical condition, but authorities said Friday that he was dead.
The second teen, 16, was shot in the leg and is expected to recover.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson issued a statement about the shooting: “Yesterday’s shooting outside the Police Athletic League in Longwood that left one teenager injured, and another fatally injured, as well as the discovery by a security officer of guns in the backpack of a 13-year-old boy in Fordham Heights, makes it abundantly clear that the gun epidemic in New York City is far from over.
“Our kids deserve to learn and play in safe environments. We’re grateful to the brave student who expressed concern and helped school security recover the guns, but our kids shouldn’t have to be superheroes at school or fear being shot at. the street,” the statement continues.
“Guns have no place on our streets, and they certainly have no place in our schools and recreational spaces. These incidents and so many others highlight the urgent need for us to end the proliferation of guns in our neighborhoods. I also want thank the incredible team at the Police Athletic League for their commitment and dedication to our youth. Community centers are safe spaces, and we will not accept any attempt to jeopardize or undermine their work,” Gibson said.
