Teenager Arrested In Connection To 2019 Stray Bullet Shooting Death Of 14-Year-Old Aamir Griffin
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The teenager facing charges in the 2019 death of a 14-year-old boy in Queens was extradited to New York on Saturday.
As he walked out of the 113th Precinct, Sean Brown said very little as he was escorted to a police vehicle.
As CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reports, the 18-year-old was extradited back to New York from California on Saturday.
Brown is accused in the murder of 14-year-old Aamir Griffin.
He faces a charge of murder in the second degree.
The news of the arrest reverberated at the Baisley Park Houses where Griffin lived in South Jamaica, Queens.
"His parents can be at peace, you know, with themselves 'cause it's a sad story. He had his whole life ahead of him," one woman said.
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The young teenager, a gifted basketball player who was a freshman at Benjamin N. Cardoza High School, was shooting hoops on the court outside the houses when he was struck and killed by a stray bullet in October 2019.
Dhillon spoke to a woman whose grandson played basketball with Griffin.
"A 14-year-old kid just playing basketball, minding his own business, and he was a really good kid," she said. "Very low key. Not making noise out here. None of that stuff."
At the time, Griffin's death sparked outrage and sadness in the neighborhood, as well as an outpouring of love.
In July 2021, the community gathered to reopen the refurbished court where Griffin was killed to honor his legacy and to give kids a safe space to hang out.
Despite the efforts, community members say the death has left a sense of fear in the neighborhood
"It was so hurtful, and you know, this is a park, a playground for kids, the younger generation," Gordon Jones said. "Now, these days, it's like, caution just to come outside."
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Neighbors hope this arrest will encourage children to come back outside and give some comfort to Griffin's family.
"He had a future ahead of him. Accomplish something, maybe be a basketball player, you know," Jones said.
As for Brown, who is also from Queens, he is now waiting to go before a judge to be arraigned.
Meanwhile, police will not say whether they are searching for more suspects in this case, only that the investigation continues.
CBS2's Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report.