Man arrested, charged in the deadly shooting of an 18-year-old in Mount Vernon
MOUNT VERNON, New York (WABC) -- Police have arrested and charged a man in the death of an 18-year-old who was shot just steps away from his home.
Authorities announced the arrest of 33-year-old Akeem Grant on Friday and charged him in the murder of Tamani Turner.
Turner lives on Garden Avenue near East 4th Street and was gunned down Thursday at 12:30 p.m. He was shot twice in the middle of the day.
He is the third teenager shot and killed this year in Mount Vernon. The mayor said it's a problem with no easy solution.
She knows Tamani Turner and his family. She says he grew up there, went to school there, was involved in school activities and had never been in trouble with the law to her knowledge.
Yet he was shot and killed right in his own neighborhood.
Zyaire Fernandez, 14, was shot and killed on South 7th Avenue almost a month ago to the day. An arrest was made in that case as well.
"To see blood on the streets of our children is devastating," said Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard.
The mayor of Mount Vernon said she has been meeting with the school district and engaging community partners to help, but says more police is not the answer.
"That's not going to stop violence, if someone is determined to kill someone they will, we have to focus on the prevention," Patterson-Howard said.
Neighbors have been left shaken.
"Of course we are scared, we have kids, we are scared," Natalia Towler said. "This neighborhood is a nice neighborhood and we are all devastated."
Towler is asking for everyone to step up and says their neighborhood is being run down by violence.
Last week the mayor announced an Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to work with community members to address root causes.
As far as the ongoing investigation, police would not comment on whether Turner was the intended target.
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