Jaryan Elliot was a 13-year-old Black male from the Bronx who friends described as a “beautiful soul” and overprotective of those he cared about. His family remembered him as a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend who was deeply loved. In the days before his death, friends said Jaryan had told them he was tired of gang life and wanted to find a way out of the neighborhood.
He would have turned 14 at the end of the month in which he was killed.
On the afternoon of Sunday, July 11, 2021, Jaryan was standing with a friend on East 187th Street in the Belmont neighborhood. Around 3:15 p.m., a man got out of a dark-colored sedan and opened fire. Jaryan was struck in the chest and leg, while his friend escaped unharmed. The wounded teen staggered into the nearby Angels Cafe, where he collapsed. Emergency responders rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, but he was pronounced dead. Police called the shooting gang-related and confirmed that Jaryan had been the intended target.
Investigators began searching for a dark-colored Honda Accord with three orange stripes on the hood that was seen fleeing the area. The investigation led to an arrest in early August 2021, when police took a 16-year-old male into custody. The teenager was charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a firearm in connection with Jaryan’s death.
The case against the shooter proceeded in the youth part of Bronx Supreme Court. Four years after the shooting, the defendant, who was 16 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. As part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Following the sentencing, Jaryan’s mother, Mal Elliot, spoke about the long wait for justice. "My son was only 13 years old walking down the street, not bother[ing] anyone," she said. "It's just a tragic death. I will never forget my son." She added that while the sentence was not everything the family had wanted, she was glad to have a resolution.
