Crown Heights Shooting Leaves 16-Year-Old Tyson Harps Jr. Dead, Gunman Still at Large
A heartbreaking scene unfolded late Saturday night in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, when a 16-year-old boy from the Bronx, Tyson Harps Jr., was struck in the head by gunfire outside an apartment building on Eastern Parkway. The fatal shooting occurred around 8:45 p.m., leaving the community shaken and investigators searching for answers.
According to the New York Police Department, officers responding to multiple 911 calls arrived at the scene to find the young victim lying motionless on the sidewalk, bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound to the head. Nearby residents reported hearing at least nine gunshots ring out in rapid succession. Those nine shell casings, later recovered by detectives, told the story of a deliberate act—one intended to ensure the teenager would not survive.
Tyson Harps Jr. had not been involved in any dispute, according to both family and friends. He was simply visiting friends in the neighborhood, far from his home in the Bronx. Witnesses told police that a masked man dressed in a black jacket, gray sweatpants, and white sneakers was seen firing before fleeing on foot down a nearby side street. Despite multiple witness statements and surveillance cameras in the area, police have yet to confirm a motive or identify the shooter.
Authorities say they are still trying to determine whether Tyson was the intended target or a tragic victim of mistaken identity. Detectives from the NYPD’s 77th Precinct and the Brooklyn North Homicide Squad are reviewing footage from nearby buildings and canvassing for additional witnesses who may have seen the suspect before or after the gunfire.
For Tyson’s mother, whose name is being withheld for safety reasons, the pain of that night will never fade. She told reporters that she had last spoken to her son just 84 minutes before his death, sending a text message asking if he had arrived safely at his destination. His reply was short but reassuring—“I’m fine.” It would be the last message she ever received from him.
When she arrived at the scene later that night, she found the street cordoned off with police tape. Officers had already covered Tyson’s body with a white sheet. Witnesses say the grieving mother stood behind the tape for hours, refusing to leave as she watched the body of her son remain on the ground until after midnight. “He was just a kid,” one resident said. “He didn’t deserve that. No one does.”
Tyson Harps Jr. was more than a name in a police report. Family friends describe him as a protective older brother who helped care for his younger siblings when his mother was too ill to do so. A sophomore in high school, Tyson had dreams of finishing his education and one day attending college. Teachers described him as quiet, kind, and dedicated—a boy who tried to stay away from trouble despite living in a tough neighborhood.
His mother now faces the unthinkable: planning her child’s funeral. She told investigators that she and Tyson had never spoken about such things—because no parent ever imagines needing to.
As candles, flowers, and photos began to gather near the shooting site, community members held a small vigil to honor Tyson’s life and call for justice. Local leaders and anti-violence advocates have since renewed their plea for stronger community safety measures and better youth outreach programs in Brooklyn neighborhoods hit hardest by gun violence.
For now, no arrests have been made. Police urge anyone with information about the shooting to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
The Harps family, left shattered by the loss, continues to seek answers—and peace—for a young man whose life was cut short before it truly began.
