Son of 78-year-old Bronx stray bullet victim decries citywide gun ‘crisis’

The grieving son of a 78-year-old innocent bystander shot in the Bronx said his father’s death and the recent stray bullet slay of a Brooklyn infant should be a wake-up call to the city.

“There’s a crisis with Black and brown young people — and they’re just having access to guns and unfortunately nobody’s speaking about the crisis,” said Darryl Spence, whose father, Edgar Spence, was shot Thursday night.

“The 7-month-old baby, not long ago. A 78-year-old man … Who else do we need to lose before we realize this is a crisis?”

At the time of Edgar Spence’s slaying, the city was still reeling from the April 1 shooting death of 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore, allegedly by a 21-year-old gunman riding on the back of a moped in East Williamsburg.

Both the accused shooter and the 18-year-old moped operator have since been arrested on murder charges, while Edgar Spence’s slaying remains unsolved.

On Thursday, another horrific crime rattled the city —15-year-old Jaden Pierre was beaten and fatally shot at point-blank range in a Queens playground.

Video shows at least three teenagers repeatedly punch and kick Jaden inside the Nautilus Playground at Roy Wilkins Park near Baisley and Merrick Blvds. in South Jamaica before he’s shot in the chest. Police have made no arrests.

In the days after little Kaori’s shooting, Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez announced a gang takedown in Brownsville, and announced he’s expanding a restorative justice program aimed at identifying at-risk young people and getting them therapy and other resources before they turn to a gun.

“I hope that we make the investments we need to make so that men know how to solve their personal beefs with each other without resorting to senseless gun violence,” he said to reporters April 7

“These men are shooting in broad daylight with many, many children in the forefront or the background of these shootings. We have to prevent this.”

“Brooklyn has seen a decline in gun violence but these cases shake us,” he added.

Despite the recent case of high profile indiscriminate violence, the murder rate continues to drop across the five boroughs, with 65 slayings citywide this year through April 12, a 22% drop from the 84 slayings by that time last year.

The NYPD has boasted that the city has seen the lowest number of murders and shootings in the first three months of the year in recorded history.

Edgar Spence was sitting on the scooter playing cards with friends when he was struck by gunfire near Alexander Ave. and E. 135th St. outside his home in NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses in Mott Haven, his son said.

“Nobody deserves to die in their scooter just trying to enjoy their last stage of life, outside,” Darryl Spence said. “He liked to go in the park…. It was people his age there and he felt comfortable with those people. They would sit out there and play their oldies and just kind of enjoy life.”

Neighbor Karen Ware, 61, who affectionately calls the victim “Grandpa” though they are not related, was with Edgar Spence just before he was killed.

“Grandpa was a good person. He would help anybody,” she said, wiping away tears.  “That day we was all sit out. We was listening to music. I said, ‘All right, Grandpa, I’m going upstairs.’”

“He was sitting right there with a couple of guys, his buddies, because they always sit together,” she added. “Joking, laughing.”

Darryl Spence described his dad as fun and generous, but a stern parent who always looked out for his six children.

“Some things you don’t understand as a child. But he prepared us for what we needed to do in life and become productive citizens,” he said. “That’s what the legacy is, what people say after you’re gone.”

Edgar Spence grew up in Harlem and worked as a plumber for most of his life.

“His body just was breaking down and he needed a hip replacement,” the son said. “That’s why he was in a scooter. But he had a 100% clean bill of health.”

“I hope the police officers use all their resources to find justice for my father,” he added.