1 dead in shooting on Bronx playground

CBS News

7 days ago

One person was killed Friday in a shooting on a playground in the Bronx.
This comes as a youth gun violence prevention program in the borough is losing a big portion of its funding from the Department of Justice.
Shooting sent children running for safety, witnesses say
The shooting happened around 12:45 p.m. on a playground at the intersection of Crotona Park East and East 173rd Street.
Police said the victim was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. His age is unknown at this time.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene with children running for safety.
According to police, two suspects were seen running away.
The shooting happened in the New York City Police Department's 42nd Precinct, which has been a target of enforcement for the NYPD. Just this week, they announced it will be one of their summer safety zones, where they will deploy additional officers on foot in an effort to drive down violence.
Bronx gun violence prevention program helps first-time offenders
According to the NYPD, there were 48 shooting victims and 40 shooters under 18 in the Bronx last year, compared to 28 victims and 17 shooters so far this year.
"Youth gun violence in the Bronx was very heavy, and that's one of the reasons why the BOGAP program came about," said Maurice de Frietas, program manager for the Bronx Osborne Gun Accountability and Prevention program (BOGAP).
BOGAP helps young people in the borough who have first-time felony offenses with a firearm.
"Young people who are arrested for possession and that's it. It can't be in conjunction with another crime," de Frietas said. "The program actually helps support our young people from staying out of trouble, changing their ways and actions, and think about doing positive things."
Officials say participants who successfully complete the intense year-long program get the felony charge dropped.
"Their felonies are actually dismissed completely and sealed," de Frietas said. "This gives young people the opportunity to actually regain their lives."
Program suffers layoffs, cutbacks due to lost funding
Since the program started in 2021, there have been 52 graduates with an 80% success rate, saving a combined 104 years of incarceration.
But one-third of the program's federal funding was recently cut from the DOJ, impacting staff, one-on-one counseling and meals for the youth.
"It has already impacted the program severely. There's been cuts to staff, layoffs," de Frietas said.
The DOJ told CBS News New York discretionary funds that are not aligned with the administration's priorities are subject to review and reallocation.
"When you're providing a program, a second chance to people that don't have the guidance or wasn't thinking right at the time, maybe you could save somebody," said 23-year-old Bryan Baez, who went through the program after getting caught carrying a gun.
He hopes others can get a second chance like he did.
"This program taught me ways to handle my anger differently, ways to handle life differently," he said.