NYC teens facing charges in a handful of recent fatal shootings

Two teenagers were arrested this week for separate shootings that killed one person and left another in critical condition, according to police – the latest in a string of violent shooting incidents allegedly perpetuated by teens.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested on Monday for the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Darren Davis in the Bronx earlier this month.

Police said Davis was gunned down at around 8:30 p.m. outside a bodega on Willis Avenue and East 137th Street in Mott Haven and a 42-year-old woman was also shot in the leg, according to the NYPD. Police said the 15-year-old was charged with murder in the second degree, but did not release his name because he is a minor. Information for the boy’s lawyer was not immediately available.

NYPD officials also announced the arrest of 19-year-old Jermaine Vanderhorst earlier this week in connection to a shooting in East Harlem on Saturday that left a 17-year-old in critical condition.

Police said Vanderhorst opened fire at the teen on East 115th Street in Lexington Avenue around 5:45 p.m., striking him in the head as he rode on a citibike. Vanderhorst was arrested the following day in Lower Manhattan, and was charged with attempted murder and criminal weapons possession.

Vanderhorst’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his arraignment.

A 13-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy were also arrested within the last week in connection to the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Evette Jeffrey in the Bronx.

Police said Jeffrey was passing by a group of teens who had gotten into a fistfight near Bronx Latin school around 5 p.m. on May 12 when the shots rang out – striking her in the head and killing her at the scene. NYPD officials said the 13-year-old had given a gun to the 14-year-old, who is accused of firing at a rival but hitting Jeffrey instead.

Their lawyers have not responded to requests for comment on the case, and their identities are not public because they are minors.

NYPD data shows that shooting incidents are still down more than 13% citywide. Gothamist’s map of gun violence over the past 5 years shows the blocks where shooting incidents tend to be concentrated.