A Walk in the Park: Haffen Park

Showing posts with label Haffen Park. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

Funeral Held For Bronx Teen Murdered In Haffen Park

Bronx

Family and friends gathered in Williamsbridge, Bronx on Saturday for the funeral of a local teen found shot to death in a park near his home, according to NY1.

The body of Kemar Brooks, 14, was found by his father inside Haffen Park in Baychester last week.

Kemar and his father moved to the city from Jamaica two years ago.

Friends said Kemar's death is a huge loss.

"He was a good kid. It's just sad that his life was taken so quick. I'm going to miss him. He was a best friend, like a brother to me," said one mourner.

"He was a one-in-a-million friend. You don't get too many of those that often," said another.

It is still not clear if Kemar was the intended target of the shooter.

A $22,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

NY1 News - August 5, 2012

14-Year-Old Boy Gunned Down In Bronx Park After Playing Tennis

A Walk In The Park - July 27, 2012 - By Geoffrey Croft

Friday, August 3, 2012

Reward For Killer Of 14-year-Old Kemar Brooks In Haffen Park Increased To $ 22,000

Bronx

Officials increased the reward Thursday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of a Bronx teenager, according to NY1.

Kemar Brooks, a 14-year-old tennis player, was shot and killed while inside Haffen Park in Baychester last week.

His body was discovered by his father last Friday.

The total reward was increased to $22,000, with $10,000 each from the Mayor's Office and NYPD, as well as $2,000 from Crime Stoppers.

Read/View More:

Authorities Increase Reward Money For Two Recent Shootings

NY1 News - August 2, 2012

14-Year-Old Boy Gunned Down In Bronx Park After Playing Tennis

A Walk In The Park - July 27, 2012 - By Geoffrey Croft

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Bronx Shooting of 14-Year-Old Kemar Brooks Is Part Of Citywide Surge In Park Violence

Candles are placed at a vigil at Haffen Park for 14-year-old

Candles and a poster are placed at a vigil at Haffen Park for 14-year-old Kemar Brooks who was murdered in the park last Thursday evening. (Photo: Corinne Lestch)

Bronx

Keble Frazer took his sons, niece and nephew to Haffen Park in Baychester on Tuesday expecting a pleasant, relaxing day.

Then he saw posters at the entrance offering a $12,000 reward for information on the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Kemar Brooks there, according to the New York Daily News.

“I’m just looking at the signs, and I’m shocked,” said Frazer, 35. “I’m wondering if I should take my kids here. The park is somewhere you’re supposed to be safe.”

In a wave of street violence this summer, park crime is up 24% since 2009, said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates. Since July 1, 13 people have been shot in parks citywide, resulting in four deaths and nine injuries; two people were stabbed, one fatally.

“There’s an explosion of park crime this summer, and there are only two park enforcement officers available for patrol for the entire borough,” said Croft. “And that’s for over 7,000 acres of park land.

“When (Kemar) was shot, there was nobody.”

The senseless shooting took the life of a promising student and tennis player last Thursday. His father, Cassell Brooks, found the boy lifeless in Haffen Park, less than a block away from their home. A vigil was held in the park Monday night for Kemar, who was active in his church, Gospel Assembly.

Kemar’s father was thankful for the outpouring of support - more than 200 people showed up.

“I’m coping, but the memories just linger,” Brooks said on Tuesday.

“Replacing this son...it’s just hard to imagine. This son was a good gift from God. One that God only gives once in a lifetime.”

As for the park, “I think I’m going to stay away,” he said.

Neighbors, residents and parkgoers said they were spooked coming to the expansive green haven, which boasts a pool, tennis court, playground and sprinklers. Five days after the shooting, mothers were drying off small children in bathing suits while residents exercised with personal trainers. The lights turn off at 10 p.m., but there is no way to close or gate the perimeters.

“There’s nobody here to actually prevent anyone from coming in here,” said a longtime tennis player, who declined to give his name. “I think that’s asking for too much. This is New York City.”

Investigators are no closer to figuring out who killed Kemar.

A witness saw a man enter the park about 8 p.m. Thursday and fire in the direction of the pool, then leave the park, said Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, the NYPD’s top spokesman.

Kemar was under a gazebo near the pool, taking cover from the rain, with a man he had been playing tennis with and another man.

It's not clear whether any of the three was a target of the shooting, Browne said.

surge in park violence No arrests yet in promising tennis player's killing

New York Daily News - August 1, 2012 - By Corinne Lestch

14-Year-Old Boy Gunned Down In Bronx Park After Playing Tennis

A Walk In The Park - July 27, 2012 - By Geoffrey Croft

Friday, July 27, 2012

14-Year-Old Boy Gunned Down In Bronx Park After Playing Tennis

"My heart just fell to the ground" - Cassell Brooks, father of 14-year-old boy.

Medical Examiner personnel and police investigators at the scene this morning where 14-year-old Kemar Bryan Brooks was gunned down last night in Haffen Park in the Bronx after playing tennis. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

Bronx

A crime scene investigator photographs shell casings found on the adjacent basketball courts.

By Geoffrey Croft

A 14-year-old boy was shot dead last night after playing tennis in Haffen Park in the Bronx in yet another murder in a park.

Police believe a small caliber bullet penetrated the boy's head according to numerous police sources. Kemar Bryan Brooks was pronounced dead at the scene just before 6 a.m. The medical examiner's office said the teen died of a gunshot wound to the brain, and the case was being ruled a homicide.

Mr. Brooks, a cabinetmaker, went out looking for him around the neighborhood Friday evening around 12:00am after this son failed to come home. The worried father said he did not initially go into the park.

“I was going to discipline him because he didn't come home," he said.

"I thought he was safe. He played tennis two, three, seven hours a day their," said Mr. Brooks. "He was always with adults playing. It was a good influence. I thought he was safe."

After his initial search turned up empty he returned home and stayed up worrying. He slept for a few hours and then went back outside and continued looking for him. This time he searched the park.

Mr. Brooks made a horrifying discovery just before 6:oo am this morning when he saw his youngest son lying on his side under some trees less than eight feet from the courts where he had been playing hours earlier. His tennis racket and bag were by his side. The body was found less than a hundred yards from their home.

"I went outside, I went by the park and there I found him lying dead," the father said.

“He was the best kid you could ask for."

The incident occurred inside the park not far from the Burke Avenue entrance between Bruner and Wickham Avenues.

Outside his Baychester home, the heartbroken father sat on a ledge and received a string of condolences. One of Kemar's older brothers held a photo of him next to his bowling trophies, tennis medals, and a school ID in a makeshift memorial created by the family.

"My brother. My brother," he said sobbing.

Kemar's older brother weeps while holding a photograph, next to bowling trophies, tennis medals and a school ID in a makeshift memorial created by the family outside the Brooks' home on Bruner Avenue around the corner from the senseless murder.

Shell casings were found on an adjacent basketball court. He may not have been the intended target according to a police source.

His father, neighbors and park goers spoke of his passion for tennis.

Witnesses said they saw the teen playing tennis until about 8 p.m., when the rain started and people ran for cover. Shorty thereafter the boy was gunned down.

Tony Cedeno has been playing on the park's six courts for years. He arrived this morning to play when he heard the shocking news.

"He's just a boy, just a boy," said Mr. Cedeno who saw him last night on the courts until it started to rain.

"He was a queit boy. I never even heard him curse. He was a natural player. He had a wicked high top spin.

I'm just so upset. So upset."

The office of the Medical Examiner removes the body from Haffen Park.

Area resident Marie Johnson, 70, said she heard three or four shots not long after.

"I know the difference between thunder and gun shots," she said, "It wasn't the storm."

The devastated family including Kemar's mother and four siblings moved from Jamaica two years ago.

"My heart just fell to the ground," Kemar's father Cassell Brooks, 50 said. "I knew it was him when I saw his shoes. His tennis bag was next to him.

He was on his way home. Why him," he asked.

Numerous investigators were seen canvassing the neighborhood going door-to-door looking for witnesses.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

The park's swimming pool was closed for the day due to the investigation.

The incident occurred inside the park near the entrance on Burke Avenue between Bruner and Wickham Avenues.

Park and Playground Violence

Violence in the city parks and playgrounds has exploded over the last few weeks resulting in multiple deaths and injuries from shootings and stabbings.

According to figures complied by NYC Park Advocates since July 1st alone 13 people have been shot, resulting 4 deaths and 9 injuries, two people were stabbed, one fatally.

On Wednesday, five people were wounded when a gunman opened fire at a basketball tournament at Rucker Park in Harlem. A few days earlier 4-year-old, Lloyd Morgan was killed in a playground by a stray bullet shot at a basketball game in the Bronx.

Park crime is up 24% since 2009 according to the latest figures complied by the city. This number however represents only a faction of crime occurring in parks because the Police and Parks Department refuse to comply with the 2005 law which requires them to track and report crime in parks.

Shootings are up 9.6 percent city-wide and overall crime is up 4.3 percent this year according to the latest NYPD statistics. The explosion of gun violence citywide has apparently not changed the mind of Mayor Michael Bloomberg to hire more cops. Since he's been in office the NYPD has lost close to 6,000 officers since it's peak in 2001- 2002.

According to the city's latest budget, the NYPD expects to have an average of 34,800 cops in the current fiscal year, which began July 1. At its peak, it had 40,700 officers.

In another 'Bloomberg moment," the Mayor said on his weekly Friday WOR radio show that increasing the number of police was not going to make a difference in lowering the murder rate.

"If you had more cops, would you get it down even more. I don’t think so.”

Critics also point out the ranks of the only uniformed police dedicated to city parks have been decimated.

At the time of young Kemar's murder not a single Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officer was available to patrol the Bronx's more than 7,000 acres of parkland due to dramatic staffing cuts. Critics charge that under Bloomberg, Parks Commissioner Adrain Benepe has been methodically dismantling PEP. They have lost 42% of their officers since 2008 according to Benepe.

Several City Council members have told A Walk In The Park when they have asked the Parks Commissioner about restoring funding for PEP he discouraged it saying they weren't a priority and crime in parks was being overblown.

Read/View More:

Gunshot killed teen found dead in Bronx park

WABC - July 28, 2012 - By Tim Fleischer

Bronx Father Finds His 14-Year-Old Son Shot To Death Inside Haffen Park

WCBS News - July 27, 2012

Another Bronx Shooting, 14-Year-Old Student Is Found Dead by His

Father in a Park Near Their Home

The Wall Street Journal - By Sean Gardiner and Danny Gold

Boy, 14, Is Fatally Shot After Playing Tennis

New York Times - July 27, 2012 - By Marc Santora and Daniel Krieger

Dad finds brainy son, 14, slain in Bx. park

New York Post - July 28, 2012 - By Natasha Velez, Rebecca Harshbarger and Jamie Schram