Brooklyn Gun Violence Kills 16-Year-Old, NYPD Searches Suspect

Sixteen-year-old Tyson Harps Jr. was shot in the head and killed Saturday night on Eastern Parkway near Rochester Avenue in Crown Heights; officers responded to a 911 call to 1196 Eastern Parkway at about 8:45–8:47 p.m. and EMS pronounced him dead at the scene. Harps, who lived in the Bronx (Melrose/Park Avenue), was found unconscious and is identified as the 24th teen to die from gun violence in New York City this year, surpassing last year’s total. Police say a masked male suspect wearing a black jacket, gray hoodie, gray sweatpants and black-and-white sneakers was seen running eastbound on the parkway; no arrests have been made and the investigation remains active. The victim’s family—describing him as a loving son and brother who enjoyed football and music—are grieving publicly, urging anyone with information to come forward and calling for an end to gun violence. The shooting occurred in the NYPD’s 71st Precinct, where police say homicide and shooting numbers remain about level with this time last year as authorities continue to appeal for witnesses.