A 17-year-old girl, caught in a gang-related shooting last week in the Bronx, is currently fighting for her life. Ansonaya Campbell was struck by a stray bullet in the face during a basketball tournament in Baychester, leaving her mother, Jennifer Talbot, in anguish as she described receiving the distressing news.
Talbot, who earned her PhD at Heart Bible International University in Connecticut, recalled that the call came from one of Ansonaya’s friends. “She was screaming,” Talbot said, remembering the panic in her daughter’s friend’s voice. “I was like, ‘You’re joking.’ But I was out the door almost immediately.”
Upon her arrival at Jacobi Hospital, Talbot was greeted with fears of the worst, as doctors warned her to prepare for the possibility of saying goodbye to her critically injured daughter, who had been set to return to her high school in Hartford soon.
As of Monday, Ansonaya remained in critical condition. Meanwhile, the violent incident that unfolded resulted in four deaths, including Ansonaya, and left several others injured.
Authorities later apprehended four suspects in connection with the shooting, charging them with serious offenses including murder and attempted murder. The suspects are Robert Royal and Daven Reyes, both 20, along with two teenagers whose names haven’t been released.
“I’m trying to stay hopeful,” Talbot reflected, speaking about her daughter’s joyful nature. “She just brings a smile to everyone she meets. She loves people and always greets everyone.”
The teenagers had been visiting family and friends, enjoying the basketball tournament, when gunfire erupted. Ansonaya had initially planned to join her mother for her graduation celebration but chose to attend to a client instead. “She called me right after the ceremony, saying, ‘I’m so proud of you,’” Talbot recalled, cherishing that moment even as she faced uncertainty.
Over the weekend, violence claimed the life of another individual, Jaceil Banks, 32, along with injuries to four others.
