A 16-year-old boy has been arrested for murder for shooting a young woman in the eye while aiming for her brother in a Bronx playground, police said Wednesday.
The suspect was charged Tuesday with murder, aggravated manslaughter, gun possession and reckless endangerment for the May 28 shooting death of 23-year-old Reyna Caceres at the Aqueduct Lands Playground, police said.
Cops suspect the gunman was aiming for the victim’s brother, who is wanted for questioning in three shootings, police sources said.
Shots rang out at 12:10 a.m. and the victim, who was part of a large gathering, was hit in the eye near Aqueduct Ave. and W. 181st St.
“I heard shots and when I looked out my window there was a young lady shaking with blood (on her),” a woman who identified herself as Chanel, 32, said at the time. “She was convulsing, like she was having a seizure.”
The gunman, clad in black, ran off, with those left at the scene refusing to talk to police when they arrived, sources said.
Another neighbor who was awakened by the commotion said there were at least 30 people at the gathering.
“We’ve had cops there before in the past and it’s funny, the one day that they’re not there is the one day that happens,” the neighbor said. “Because usually they patrol around this area.”
He said he could tell it was serious because of the screaming that followed.
“Usually you hear shots, nothing after. This time, they were shooting and then you heard a lot of screaming. So you hear ‘No, no. Oh, my God.’ And that’s what really wakes one up, you know?”