A 15-year-old was shot and killed outside a Brooklyn public housing complex Tuesday night, marking the first deadly shooting in the city of the new year in New York City.
Javel Lawton was shot at 9 p.m. behind one of the Bay View Houses in Canarsie, according to the NYPD. His death comes amid an uptick in violence among youths under the age of 18.
Witnesses described three people dressed in dark clothing fleeing the scene, police said.
NYPD statistics show there were no murders at the Bay View Houses in the past two years. In 2023, there were two shooting incidents at the NYCHA complex.
NYPD statistics compiled exclusively by Gothamist show there were only two fatal shootings in all of Canarsie in 2023.
Lawton, who lived in East Flatbush, died at Brookdale University Hospital. Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Ty Gordon, 17, was visiting the family’s home in East Flatbush. He said he’d gone to school with Lawton.
“He had good energy,” Gordon said. “I’m gonna miss his energy.”
Late last month, NYPD Chief of Detectives said police are “seeing the highest levels of youths under the age of 18 involved in gun violence.” NYPD data covering Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 18, 2023 shows 89 youths were suspected of pulling the trigger, with 104 of their targets also under the age of 18.
Bahar Ostadan contributed reporting.
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