Police investigating if 19-year-old killed in Canarsie was victim of mistaken identity

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Friday, March 22, 2024
Teen killed in shooting may have been victim of mistaken identity
Authorities are investigating whether the fatal shooting of a teen in Canarsie may have been a case of mistaken identity.

CANARSIE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The 19-year-old killed in a drive-by shooting outside his Canarsie, Brooklyn, home may have been the victim of mistaken identity.

Christian Montrose was parking his car on East 104th Street early Tuesday when a black Acura pulled up next to him.

After a brief conversation with the occupants, a gunman in the Acura opened fire.

Montrose was struck three times - once in the right side of his face, knocking out some of his teeth, once to the right side of his abdomen and once to his right forearm.

Montrose ran to his apartment and found his brother, but was unable to tell him what happened because he had been shot in the mouth.

Police say Montrose has no arrests, no gang or drug connections and is being universally described to detectives as "a good kid."

RELATED | Family seeking answers after teen shot dead outside home in Brooklyn

Detectives are investigating whether he was the victim of mistaken identity, citing significant gang violence in the neighborhood.

They believe either Montrose or his vehicle was incorrectly tied to a rival gang by the suspects -- who have not been apprehended.

The black Acura used in the shooting had previously been stolen in the Bronx, police say.

A GoFundMe page by the family has raised $11,775 to pay for funeral expenses.

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