On a warm evening in the Bronx, a celebration turned into a scene of tragedy, forever altering the lives of one family. It was June 16, 2021, and 29-year-old Katherine Diop was at a graduation cookout for her younger sister in the Fordham Manor neighborhood. Remembered as a devoted mother to her 7-year-old daughter, a loving daughter and sister, and a positive light in her community, Katherine's life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.
The night took a fatal turn when Katherine
and her 31-year-old brother, Maurice, went to a nearby deli on Marion Avenue and East 194th Street to buy lighter fluid for the cookout. Outside the store, an argument erupted with a man over the music that was being played. As the siblings were walking away, gunshots rang out. Katherine was struck in the torso, and her brother was shot multiple times. Both were rushed to Saint Barnabas Hospital, but Katherine could not be saved. Her brother, despite being shot eight times, survived the attack.
In the wake of the shooting, the community mourned the loss of a young mother and demanded an end to the gun violence plaguing their streets. The New York Police Department launched an investigation that led to the arrests of two suspects. On July 11, 2021, police arrested 24-year-old Jonathan Rosario. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
A second suspect, 28-year-old Andrew Johnson, was taken into custody on July 22, 2021. Johnson faced charges of murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault, and two counts of criminal possession of a loaded firearm. The arrests brought a measure of relief to a grieving family and community, though the profound loss of Katherine Diop remains.
