Chilling footage shows moment thug gunned down teen boy in Queens park
Disturbing footage captured the moment a suspected backpack-wearing thug opened fire on a 15-year-old boy at a Queens park during a heated brawl Thursday night — with sources saying the deadly shooting erupted as kids gathered for a water balloon fight.
Harrowing video shows a group of violent teens repeatedly pummeling Queens victim Jaden Pierre at Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans before one of them shoots him point-blank, causing him to fall backward.
The 24-second clip, posted on X by former Mayor Eric Adams, shows a rowdy crowd surrounding the fatal clash near Nautilus Playground and cheering it on before the single-shot rang out.
Cops are looking for this backpack-wearing suspect in the deadly Queens shooting of a 15-year-old boy Thursday. NYPD
“A 15-year-old kid was beaten and shot to death at a Southeast Queens playground yesterday,” Adams captioned the shocking post.
“And somehow this isn’t the top story. Credit to AG Letitia James & BP Richards for speaking up. Where is everyone else, including @NYCMayor Mamdani? Outrage shouldn’t depend on zip code. Every child deserves protection.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not publicly commented on the shooting, and City Hall did not respond to inquiries.
Sources say the shooting happened when a brawl erupted while kids gathered for a water balloon fight. NYPD
Pierre was shot in the torso just before 6:20 p.m. Thursday and found lying on the park ground after cops responded to a 911 call, police said.
The gravely wounded teen was rushed to a Jamaica Hospital, where he died, cops said.
New surveillance photos, released by the NYPD Friday afternoon, show the young-looking suspect — wearing a light colored sweatsuit and black backpack — glancing at his phone and carrying a soda bottle while strolling on the sidewalk.
The deadly gunfire erupted when multiple teens gathered in the park for a water balloon fight as temperatures in the Big Apple reached unseasonable highs, according to law enforcement sources.
The apparently innocent gathering descended into chaos when a fight broke out, the sources said. It was unclear Friday what the fight was over.
The 15-year-old victim appeared to be the intended target of the shooting, and police are investigating whether it was gang-related, according to the sources.
Several people pummeled Pierre before one shot him point-blank, harrowing footage shows. X/@ericadamsfornyc
A frequent parkgoer named AJ who recognized the young victim said Thursday that “these badass little kids always wanna come here, fight, and do dumb s—t.”
“Came over here, heard a shot go off, and I came running over here to make sure everyone was OK, especially my friends,” AJ said. “And I see a kid lying dead, and I know him from coming over here to play basketball. He’s a good basketball player. Cool kid.”
No arrests had been made by Friday evening.
The 15-year-old boy appeared to be the intended target of the shooting, sources said. Peter Gerber
Police did not immediately know what sparked the dispute that turned deadly. Brigitte Stelzer
The NYPD is asking anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at
https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.
