14-year-old killed as group of boys played with gun in Bronx building lobby
FORDHAM, Bronx (WABC) -- A 14-year-old was fatally shot in an apartment building lobby in the Fordham section of the Bronx overnight Thursday, apparently the result of gunplay among boys.
Police say Jacob Borbin was struck in the chest by a bullet inside the building on East 194th Street just after 1 a.m.
He was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Detectives believe a group of boys was passing around a gun when it fired, striking Borbin.
He lived nearby, and friends and family members rushed to the scene after the shooting.
No arrests were immediately made, and the weapon was not recovered.
Area residents say gun violence is reaching new levels in the neighborhood.
"I think about my son every day," said neighbor Robin Smith, who lost her son in a shooting. "He didn't get a chance to live."
The news of Borbin's death impacted neighbors who say the gun violence is out of control -- especially among kids.
"What is this?" Smith said. "Every day, we're losing children now. Every day, we're losing a child."
It's unclear where the boys got the gun or who owns it, and police are asking for the public's help.
"When I grew up, we didn't through this, we didn't go through violence with guns, and knives and stuff, we had a fight and we shook hands and moved on," Smith said. "Today, they're showing these children how to use guns and knives. They're not showing them anything productive, they're showing them violence, like how to take each other's life... It's just painful how these children are losing their lives. They're not even living."
Residents, meanwhile, say they're desperate for a change and need help.
"Since the beginning of this year, things have gotten much worse in the city," community activist Darrell Bennett said. "We've tried to get the attention of the mayor, tried to get the attention of the governor, we've been doing work with government agencies, but there needs to be more."
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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