Brooklyn, N.Y. — Late Saturday evening, a routine call to “assault” in the heart of Brooklyn turned tragic when 16-year-old Tyson Harps of the Bronx was found shot in the head and later pronounced dead. The incident happened at approximately 8:47 p.m. in the 71st Precinct, at 1196 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood.
Officers who responded to the scene discovered Tyson lying unconscious and unresponsive, and Emergency Medical Services later confirmed he had died of his wounds on site. While investigators comb through surveillance footage and interview bystanders, as of Sunday no arrests have been made and the motive remains unclear.
Those who knew Tyson remember him as a bright, thoughtful teenager with big dreams. Neighbors tell of a boy who smiled easily, helped younger kids, and was the kind of young man everyone hoped would thrive. His sudden and violent death has sent shockwaves from his Bronx home into the Brooklyn neighborhood where he died, leaving a community grappling with grief and anger. The RIP boards, quiet vigils and heartfelt messages reflect a city fatigued by youth violence—and the loss of another life cut far too short.
In the hours after the shooting, detectives from the NYPD’s Major Case Squad and Crime Scene Unit were seen canvassing the area: interviewing residents, reviewing door-bell and street CCTV, gathering every last detail. Although police say the investigation is “active and ongoing,” they have appealed to the public for help and emphasized that “anyone with information should step forward.”
Community members are also voicing frustration and fear. One local resident said simply: “He was just a kid. It’s heartbreaking to see another young life taken so senselessly.” That local anguish—and the dread that “it could happen to any of our kids”—now hangs heavy in the neighborhood air. Residents say they’re tired of being on high alert, tired of young lives lost, and afraid the same story could replay.
For Tyson’s family and friends, the unanswered questions are painful. How did a promising soul from Park Avenue in the Bronx end up dying at 16 on a Brooklyn street? Who was responsible, and why did this happen? The fact that no reckoning has occurred yet heightens the horror—and the sense of urgency—for both the family and the community demanding justice.
If you were in the Crown Heights area around 1196 Eastern Parkway around 8:45 p.m. Saturday, have information about the shooting, or captured relevant video footage, you’re urged to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit a confidential tip via the NYPD mobile app. As the investigation continues, the hope remains that Tyson’s name will be more than another statistic—and that the answers his loved ones deserve will arrive before more families are left mourning.