Teen killed after protecting friends in ‘senseless’ shootout as locals raise alarm over rising crime in Bronx

One teenager has been arrested in connection with what officials described as a “senseless” shooting that broke out in New York City as crowds of children gathered at the bus stop after school dismissal, killing one 16-year-old boy, police said Sunday. 

The Wednesday incident occurred in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx amid what officials and witnesses characterized as an escalating wave of violence in the borough, prompting affected family members to criticize Mayor Zohran Mamdani and law enforcement for not doing enough to keep New Yorkers safe.

Authorities identified the slain victim as Christopher Redding, an aspiring football player at John F. Kennedy High School, who sustained a gunshot wound to the back. According to a GoFundMe page, Redding was defending his friends who were being targeted by a group of individuals. 

Officials released footage of the suspects and said the group responsible for the escalation that led to the shooting consisted of four people, including three males and one female. 

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A 17-year-old male tied to the incident was arrested Saturday and currently faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a loaded firearm.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said the gunfire began as a street dispute while stressing that there has been “too much violence among young adults.”

“This started out as some sort of fight on the street, and it escalated,” Gibson said. “And, guess what, someone had a gun. That is usually the issue.”

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Regional Hall, a nearby resident who saw the aftermath of the shooting through her window, said that after hearing five gunshots, she saw “hundreds and hundreds of kids” waiting for the bus quickly running from the scene. 

Redding reportedly intervened to defend his friends just before the group opened fire, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his coach. 

“Christopher was defending his friends who were being targeted by a group of individuals who then opened fire on them in the Bronx,” the page said. “His last act on earth was one of courage and selflessness, protecting those he cared about.”

The 16-year-old was reportedly a talented athlete. He was a member of the John F. Kennedy High School tackle football team and the Fastbreak flag football team and previously played for the Bronx Colts and LBX teams, according to the GoFundMe page. 

Two other young teenagers also sustained serious injuries in the chaos, including a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Both sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg and were transported to a local hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

Hall added that she was terrified that a bullet might go through the window of her first-floor apartment, noting that fear has been widespread in the community due to recent violence in the borough. 

“You can’t come to the stores,” she said. “I had a friend that went to the drug store, and she had to try to run from across the street there to here to get to her house.”

She described a pattern of teenagers gathering at the bus stop, running into the streets and fighting regularly, noting that the violence was not entirely unexpected.

“I used to see a lot of policemen around here,” she added. “But it’s, you know, can’t say anymore.”

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Gibson also acknowledged that the borough has recently seen a rise in gun violence, “leaving too many of our families and community members feeling unsafe in their own neighborhoods.”

District Council Member Eric Dinowitz added that “guns in the hands of high school students should never be the reality, and we must put an end to this senseless violence,” according to a post on X.

The grieving father of the slain teen football player added that he was disappointed by the circumstances surrounding the incident and denounced Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent statement Thursday expressing gratitude for the NYPD’s handling of crime in the city.

“They’re still out there, and nothing is really being done,” Bryan Corley told the New York Post, referring to the suspects who remain at large. “Mayor Mamdani saying that the police is doing a good job. They’re not doing a good job. It’s disgusting.”

When asked whether Mamdani’s office had reached out to the teen’s family, the father reportedly said “no” in frustration. 

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Last Thursday, Mamdani addressed the recent shootings in the Bronx, characterizing them as “heartbreaking and horrific.”

“I am thankful for the work of the NYPD not only in responding to them but also in the actions they are taking to ensure that we work to prevent them in the future,” Mamdani said.

Dinowitz noted that “with a new mayoral administration, we have an opportunity to address this crisis once and for all. My colleagues and I in the City Council will do everything we can to support an anti-gun violence agenda that addresses the root causes and saves lives.”