On a summer afternoon in Brooklyn, New York, the life of 15-year-old Kyon Jackson was tragically cut short. On July 17, 2018, at approximately 2:45 p.m., Kyon was near a playground at the Bushwick Houses when gunfire erupted. He was struck multiple times in the torso and rushed to a local hospital, but he did not survive his injuries. Kyon, who was a beloved only child, had dreams of playing college basketball and buying a house for his mother to move them out of the projects.
He was a student at Lyons Community School and worked at the local community center.
The shooting was a brazen act of violence in a crowded area where more than 15 people, including children, were present. The gunman, riding a bicycle, fired at least nine rounds. In addition to the fatal shots that struck Kyon, a 42-year-old man was grazed in the cheek by a bullet. Investigators believed the shooting may have been gang-related and that Kyon was not the intended target.
The day after the shooting, police arrested 19-year-old Elijah Harris of Bedford-Stuyvesant in connection with the murder. Harris was subsequently charged with murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. In October 2024, a jury found Elijah Harris guilty of second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. In January 2025, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the senseless act of gun violence that took a promising young life.
