Teen Remembered After Brooklyn Shooting
A teenager fatally shot in a Brooklyn housing complex was commemorated during a wake on Wednesday, just days before he would have turned 17. Camaldre Coleman, a promising football player for the Sheepshead Bay Sharks, was remembered by friends and family outside his home.
Gathered for the memorial, many mourners released balloons shaped like the number 5, correlating to Camaldre’s football and basketball jersey numbers, alongside poignant signs stating “Forever 16.”
“He was everything to me. A bright light,” reflected his sister, Julani Bannister, 21. “He was my right hip, and I always tried to protect him. I just keep saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.'”
Julani described him not just as a brother, but as a mentor to younger family members. “He had big dreams, was on the dean’s list, and was part of the championship team,” she added. “He was deeply loved.”
Camaldre was shot in the chest on Monday night after a 16-year-old boy allegedly took a handgun from a backpack and handed it to others. According to police reports, the boy retrieved the gun, removed a loaded magazine, and a bullet went off, hitting Camaldre.
The unidentified shooter has since been charged with second-degree manslaughter and first-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Julani expressed her desire to know exactly what happened that night, emphasizing, “If your finger is on the gun, it’s not an accident.”
Camaldre’s father, Codwell Coleman, described his son as a dedicated athlete who worked hard both in sports and academics. “He was polite and did well in school, and he was passionate about life. I always told him he couldn’t play sports until he excelled in school,” he shared. “I’m proud of his achievements.”
Tragedy struck as Codwell revealed that Camaldre is the second son he has lost. “He should have gotten up and left when he saw the gun. I lost my oldest son six years ago, and now I’ve lost my baby. It’s still unbelievable. It hurts,” he recounted.
Friends recalled Camaldre as joyful, mentioning that he enjoyed making dance videos on TikTok and had no involvement with gangs.
Classmate Carter McRae, 16, described him as a fun-loving co-captain of the junior varsity football team, known for his infectious smile. “His memory will live on,” she said, noting that he was supposed to have a birthday photo taken on Friday.
To honor his memory, another vigil is being planned at the school on Friday night, coinciding with what would have been Camaldre’s 17th birthday. “His mother is devastated, as if she’s in a nightmare,” remarked his aunt, Elexis Oquendo. “She hopes this isn’t real. He died just before turning 17.”
