Father of 14-year-old Justin Streeter, killed in East Harlem double shooting, demands justice
NEW YORK -- Police are still looking for the gunman who shot two teenage boys in East Harlem on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the victims, a 14-year-old boy, was killed.
CBS2's Nick Caloway spoke to the boy's father on Wednesday.
"He was a child just going to the store with his best friend, and they took my son from me," Damon Streeter said.
Through the tears, Damon Streeter said he couldn't help but sit across the street from the sidewalk where Justin Streeter was killed.
He was processing unimaginable grief.
"I couldn't ... I couldn't leave to go home without my son," Damon Streeter said.
Justin Streeter, who recently graduated from middle school, was with his 15-year-old best friend on East 128th Street in East Harlem om Tuesday. As they left a deli, a gunman approached and starting firing. Both boys were struck.
Watch Nick Caloway's report
The 15-year-old was shot in the leg and is expected to be OK, but Justin Streeter suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital.
Police sources told CBS2 the victims had no gang affiliations and the motive for that shooting is not clear.
Investigators have not ruled out a case of mistaken identity.
"I don't know what to feel, but I know my son is in a better place right now. And I want justice. Justice," Damon Streeter said.
He said he moved the family to a home in Plainfield, New Jersey, two years ago to get his kids away from all the violence in the city.
Justin Streeter was back in Harlem visiting his grandparents when he was killed.
"So I feel I failed. I feel I failed, because the same thing I got him away from is what took his life," Damon Streeter said.
Caloway also spoke with the boy's grandmother on Wednesday. She described him as a good kid who was about to start high school in the fall.
She had a clear message for Mayor Eric Adams: a lot of kids are being hurt and he needs to do something about it.
As CBS2's Astrid Martinez reports, the list of shooting victims in Harlem continues to grow.
On Sunday, a 34-year-old man was fatally shot in front of King Tower Houses. No arrest has been made.
Wednesday evening, family and friends gathered to mark one month since the tragic loss of 21-year-old basketball star Darius Lee. They released balloons with words of comfort and a promise.
"We will not stop until justice is served," one woman said.
"We miss him every day," one man said.
The balloon release was held to remember the beloved son, brother, friend and athlete.
Lee was one of nine people shot while attending a barbecue at East 139th Street and Fifth Avenue on June 20. The Harlem native died at the hospital.
Flyers of Lee can be seen around Harlem to remind people that his murder goes unsolved, and there is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The gun violence epidemic in New York City is becoming all too common. According to the NYPD, shootings in the 25th Precinct are up nearly 65 percent in July compared to the same time last year.
Mayor Eric Adams met with other mayors Wednesday to address gun violence.
"We are going to have the ability of not having to wait on the ATF. We're now going to have the ability as mayors to share our information. Now, we want the ATF, but we are empowered now. We're no longer standing by, waiting, and now that data that we get from that serial number or that arrest that we made is going to allow us to connect the entire life of that gun," Adams said.
Anyone with information about Lee or Justin's shootings is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.