A grieving mother, consumed by anger and heartbreak, has condemned those responsible for the tragic death of her 15-year-old son, who was fatally shot in a Queens park. Her outrage extends to the bystanders who recorded the harrowing event.
“You’re all cowards,” declared 33-year-old Shanelle Weston, mother of the victim, Jaden Pierre, during an interview with the Daily News. “Cowards. You attacked my son, and even that wasn’t enough for you.”
The NYPD reported that Jaden was discovered with a gunshot wound to his chest at approximately 6:20 p.m. inside Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans on Thursday.
Footage of the incident, suspected to be gang-related, was shared by former Mayor Eric Adams. It reveals a group of youths assaulting Jaden before a heartless individual, donning a gray hoodie and pants, shoots him in the chest.
“My son was shot in the chest. This tragedy has left my family, our community, and everyone who knew him utterly devastated,” Weston conveyed to the Daily News.
Weston recounted that her son had told his father he was heading to the park to play basketball, not disclosing his actual intention to join a water balloon fight organized through social media.
“If I had known about the water-balloon fight, I would have said no,” Weston said. “There was nothing for him there but trouble.”
The young man’s mom told the the outlet that her son was a ninth grader at Eagle Academy for Young Men in Queens and was just about to start a new job over the summer.
“It was going to be his first job,” Weston said. “He was so excited and proud.”
The victim’s sister also ripped into the bystanders, who “did nothing” while her brother was beaten and shot.
“They treated it all as entertainment. He was already beat up. He was helpless and they shot him,” 17-year-old Nellie Pierre told the News.
The shooter was still on the loose Sunday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
