Brownsville community mourns killing of 18-year-old mentor remembered as 'bright force'
BROWNSVILLE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A grieving crowd gathered Tuesday night in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where loved ones, neighbors and youth advocates struggled to contain their pain after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Quah'mir Cruz, a young mentor remembered as a bright force in his community.
"Everybody that's looking out the window should be outside!" said a mourner, shouting as chants rose from the crowd.
Cruz, who lived at the Van Dyke Houses, was shot steps from the community center where he worked with children, Sunday. His mother, Danielle Cruz, said her son had been determined to build a future defined by hard work and service.
"He just had so many high hopes for himself. Two jobs. Construction in the morning - in the day. And he worked in the center with the kids - he was an art teacher at night," she said.
Video shared by the family shows him greeting the camera with a cheerful, "Hi guys!" In another clip, he laughs and says, "I'm Quah, and we're CAMBA!"
Cruz joined CAMBA, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit, in 2024 while searching for a summer job. Staff members said he quickly became a role model who created a safe space for the children he taught.
"He did what he was supposed to do and he respected his mother. And they took my son from me. They took something from me that I will never ever be able to get back," his mother said.
Ralitsa Vos, a program director at the center, said Cruz's impact on the youth was profound.
"He was not only a teacher or leader to them but he was their mentor. So he had close bonds with these kids and that's why really right now the kids and our staff are going through such a hard time because he really became that heart of the community center," she said.
Cruz had recently met with staff to update his résumé for a promotion and was preparing to obtain an OSHA certification in construction.
"He really just wanted to do right by his friends, his family. Especially his mom," a staff member said.
Police have not released additional details about the shooting.
The Brownsville community continues to mourn a young man who, by all accounts, was working to uplift the very neighborhood where his life was cut short.
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