Overview
- An emotional vigil was held Tuesday evening after police discovered 15-year-old Riley Billingslea shot to death inside a fifth-floor apartment on Claflin Avenue last week.
- NYPD investigators say the gunman pulled a weapon from a backpack during a dispute and opened fire, killing Billingslea and grazing a 13-year-old boy.
- The firearm has not been recovered and no arrests have been made, though police say they have identified a person of interest and continue to develop leads.
- Family members publicly urged the teen involved to surrender and asked the community to call NYPD Crime Stoppers with tips, stressing a need for answers and accountability.
- Local reporters and officials place the killing in the context of persistent youth-involved shootings in New York City, citing NYPD counts that showed about 60 under-18 shooting victims through July 26 this year.