A 12-year-old boy, identified as the son of an NYPD detective, was fatally shot outside a bodega in the Bronx on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. at the Wanda Deli Grocery on Elliott Place near the Grand Concourse.
Surveillance video shows an argument between two men in a crosswalk outside the store quickly devolved into a physical altercation. Several individuals began scuffling in the street, with some appearing to attempt to disarm one of the men.
Jacob Freytes, the victim and son of an NYPD detective, was seen exiting the bodega on his bicycle after making a purchase. Unaware of the escalating violence, he turned to look at the fight. At this moment, a man in a white t-shirt stepped toward the fray and appeared to pull a handgun from his waistband.
In the video, which lacks audio, Jacob dismounted his bike and ran back into the bodega, clutching his upper right chest area near his shoulder. The man in the white t-shirt, who had pointed the gun into the melee but not directly at Jacob, fled the scene.
Interior surveillance footage shows Jacob re-entering the store and collapsing on the floor as witnesses looked on in horror. He was transported to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced dead Saturday evening. His uncle, Julio Lopez, told reporters that the bullet entered his son's chest and that he fell off his bike.
Jacob Freytes lived near the shooting site. His father, a detective, returned from Connecticut upon hearing the news of his son's death.
Two other individuals, a 34-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, were also wounded in the shooting. They sustained gunshot wounds to the left foot and buttocks, respectively, and were taken to BronxCare Health System Hospital by private means. Their conditions were reported as stable.
No arrests have been made as of Sunday evening, and the investigation is ongoing. It remains unclear how many shots were fired during the incident.