At least 50 young people under 18 have been victims of gun violence in New York City this year, according to recent crime statistics. The number includes the death of 12-year-old Jacob Freytes, who was killed by a stray bullet on July 25.
NYPD data indicates that through the first half of 2026, 49 victims under 18 were shot. During the same period, 49 suspected shooters were also underage. Freytes' death occurred nearly a month after the data for the first six months of the year was compiled.
Freytes, the son of a retired NYPD sergeant, was shot while walking outside a bodega after purchasing a ball. He was caught in the crossfire of a street altercation and later died at a hospital. Harrowing video footage showed him run back into the bodega clutching his chest before collapsing.
This incident follows other recent shootings involving young people. Two days prior to Freytes' death, a 15-year-old boy was shot in the foot during a dispute in Bushwick, Brooklyn. On July 20, a 17-year-old girl was among the victims of a shooting in a McDonald's parking lot in Brooklyn.
Despite these incidents, the total number of shooting victims under 18 and suspected underage shooters was lower in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Last year, 57 victims under 18 and 53 suspected shooters of the same age were recorded for the first six months.
Overall, shootings in New York City reached a historic low during the first half of 2026, according to NYPD data. However, the proportion of suspected shooters under 18 has increased. In the first half of 2026, youths accounted for nearly 22% of all suspected shooters. This is a significant rise from 2018, when youths made up about 8% of suspected shooters during the same timeframe.