BAYCHESTER, What was meant to be a summer basketball tournament filled with competition and community spirit ended in tragedy Saturday evening when multiple shooters opened fire at Haffen Park in Baychester, The Bronx, killing 32-year-old Marcus Green and leaving four others injured, including 17-year-old Anthonaya Campbell, who is now fighting for her life.
Authorities say the gunfire erupted during the tournament off Gunther Avenue, sending players and spectators scrambling for cover. NYPD officials reported that at least five individuals were struck by bullets before the chaos subsided.
Among the victims is Anthonaya Campbell, who remains in critical condition at a local hospital. Campbell, a promising young student who aspired to become a speech pathologist, was shot in the back of the head. The bullet is lodged behind her eye, leaving her unable to speak.
Her mother, Jennifer Talbot, described the harrowing moment she learned of her daughter’s injury.
“She must have got up and tried to run. My grandson was there and he ran up and thought that she was dead. And my other daughter went down there and panicked and somebody else started to do CPR,” Talbot said.
Talbot, who had just celebrated completing her PhD program, said the pain of receiving the devastating call about her daughter was unbearable.
“It took more than 17 minutes for my daughter to get CPR, which made a big difference in her condition. If we had officers actually present, it would have been a lot sooner,” she added, criticizing the lack of immediate police presence at the event.
The gunfire claimed the life of Marcus Green, who was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot in the chest. Two other victims sustained gunshot wounds to the back but are expected to survive, and a 42-year-old man was treated for a gunshot wound to the arm.
Family members of Campbell and other victims are pleading for an end to the relentless wave of gun violence plaguing New York City.
“My niece just turned 17, she didn’t deserve this. Nobody could deserve this,” said Elizabeth, Campbell’s aunt.
Police have not yet made any arrests, and investigators are searching for multiple suspects believed to have opened fire at the crowded park. Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from the area and urging anyone with information to come forward.
The shooting adds to a troubling trend of late-summer gun violence in the city, which has left communities across the five boroughs reeling. Local leaders are expected to hold a press conference in the coming days to address safety concerns and outline potential measures to curb violence at public events.
For now, a family clings to hope as a promising young woman fights for her life in a hospital bed, and a community mourns yet another life lost to senseless gunfire.
This remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline.
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