14-year-old ID'd as person of interest in stray bullet death of 11-year-old Kyahara Tay

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Friday, May 20, 2022

14-year-old ID'd as person of interest in death of Kyahara Tay

Detectives have identified a 14-year-old person of interest they are looking to question in the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Kyahara Tay.

LONGWOOD, Bronx (WABC) -- Detectives have identified a 14-year-old person of interest they are looking to question in the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Kyahara Tay, who was gunned down in the Bronx Monday.

That stray bullet was fired by one of two people on a scooter, and police say an 18-year-old is believed to have been driving the scooter and is also being sought for questioning as an accomplice.

The intended targeted is also believed to have been a teen who was not struck, but the bullet traveled a half block and struck Tay.

She went into a nail salon for help and collapsed before later dying at the hospital.

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Her father, Sokpini Tay, gave a tearful plea at a rally on Wednesday.

"Please have mercy for her," he said while crying. "Please don't forget her. Please. She's a baby. She wasn't grown up yet. She didn't have time to grow up. I'll never get a chance to see her again."

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was joined by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, City Council Member Rafael Salamanca, District Attorney Darcel Clark, and advocates at the "Justice for Kyhara Tay" rally to call for resources, support, and change.

"To the community, if you know who these people are, say something," Clark said. "This is our job. This is our community. We've got to flip the script in them."

According to the NYPD, there have been 65 shootings, three of them fatal, with victims under 18 so far this year.

Salamanca, who represents District 17, which includes Longwood, visited Tay's family Tuesday morning.

"I want the shooter caught," Sokpini Tay told Salamanca. "I want justice."

Grief counselors are at Bronx Academy for Multi-Media, where Tay was a sixth grade student as classmates mourned the loss of a friend.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information is urged to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit tips by visiting the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by messaging on Twitter @NYPDTips.

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