A tragic incident unfolded in Bronx Park on Tuesday when a teenager lost his life, following a playful water gun fight that took a deadly turn.
Seventeen-year-old Darrell Harris was shot in the head amid an altercation that began when another boy aimed a gel pellet gun at him in Starlight Park, according to police reports. The situation escalated quickly when Harris charged at the boy, prompting a friend of the gel gun user to pull out a real weapon.
Harris’s grieving mother, Kelly Lewis, shared her shock with reporters, noting that her son, who generally stayed home, had promised to return by 9 PM that night.
“It’s really unbelievable. He rarely goes out,” Lewis, 48, said, visibly upset.
She explained that he had gone to the park with the intention of participating in a water gun fight with friends, a common activity during the summer heat.
This devastating loss is made even more poignant as it occurred on the birthday of her other son. A few years prior, Lewis lost her eldest son, Jamal Hunter, 27, to gun violence in 2021.
Harris was a student at Bronx Leadership Academy High School, and his mother insisted he wasn’t the type to wander the streets or get into trouble.
“That wasn’t him. He wasn’t that kind of kid,” she stated quietly.
At the scene, police reported finding several water guns, a knife, and shell casings. Witnesses said the shooter, possibly wearing a ski mask, escaped with an accomplice who had a water gun.
Despite being rushed to NYC Health and Hospital/Jakovi in critical condition, Harris ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the shooter remained at large.
Devastated by the tragic event, Lewis expressed her concern for the bigger picture. “These kids don’t realize the impact of their actions,” she lamented. “You take a life, but your choice affects so many people. It didn’t have to happen.”
