In the early morning hours of a summer Saturday in the Bronx, tragedy struck at the Eastchester Playground on Burke Avenue. On August 1, 2020, at approximately 1:35 a.m., the sound of gunfire shattered the night, leaving a 34-year-old man, Forest Byrd, with fatal injuries. Police responded to a 911 call reporting the shooting and discovered Byrd with gunshot wounds to his torso and left arm.
Emergency medical services arrived at the scene and quickly transported Forest Byrd to NYC Health
+ Hospitals/Jacobi in a desperate attempt to save his life. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The incident left the community shaken and searching for answers. Byrd, a resident of the Bronx, was an aspiring artist who had been released from prison in January of that year. Those who knew him remembered him as a 'good dude.'
In the wake of the shooting, the New York City Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the death of Forest Byrd, and the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward and contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline, assuring that all tips will be kept strictly confidential. The case remains a painful and unresolved chapter for Byrd's family and the Bronx community.
