In the warm evening air of a Fourth of July celebration in the Bronx, 62-year-old John Edwards sat in his customary blue chair outside his building on Prospect Avenue, a familiar and comforting sight to his neighbors. A veteran and a beloved figure in the Belmont community, he was known as a protector and mentor, especially to the local youth. His presence was a steadying force on the block, a man who friends and neighbors looked to for life advice and words of support.
The festive
sounds of the holiday were shattered at around 10:30 p.m. by the crackle of gunfire. A dark-colored SUV had pulled up, and from its passenger side window, a volley of shots was fired. While two younger men in their 20s were the intended targets of the brazen street violence, a stray bullet found an unintended mark. John Edwards, the unofficial 'grandfather of the block,' was struck in the chest. The man who had dedicated his life to making the streets safer became a victim of the very violence he stood against.
Panic and chaos erupted as neighbors rushed to his side, one trying to hold him and render aid, but it was too late. Paramedics arrived to a scene of shock and grief. Edwards was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital, but the single gunshot wound to his chest proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The two other men who were shot were also taken to the hospital and were expected to recover from their injuries.
In the days that followed, a small vigil grew around the now-empty blue chair on Prospect Avenue, a poignant memorial to the man who had been a constant presence in the lives of so many. The New York Police Department released surveillance video of the SUV from which the fatal shots were fired, hoping to generate leads in their search for the gunman. Despite their efforts and the pleas from a heartbroken community for justice, no arrests have been made in the tragic and senseless killing of John Edwards. The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to search for the person or persons responsible for his death.
