In the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, a young man’s life was cut short just before Christmas. Tahrim Applewhite, a 19-year-old male, was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Gates and Tompkins avenues on the morning of December 21, 2017, when he was fatally shot. The incident occurred just a block from his home, shattering the holiday season for his family and community. He was struck by bullets in his stomach and right arm.
Emergency services were called to the scene around 11:45 a.m., where they found Applewhite wounded. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, but the medical staff was unable to save his life. While police listed his official residence as Auburn, New York, he was known in the Brooklyn neighborhood and had been a participant in a Police Athletic League mentoring program.
The New York Police Department quickly launched an investigation into the homicide. Authorities reported that two males saw Applewhite on his bicycle and opened fire. Later, police released surveillance footage showing three young men, believed to be between 17 and 18 years old, who were wanted for questioning in connection with the fatal shooting. The video captured the individuals leaving the vicinity of the crime scene.
Descriptions of the wanted individuals were circulated to the public in the hopes of generating leads. One of the young men was described as wearing a dark hooded shirt, khaki pants, and red sneakers. The second individual wore a dark hooded shirt, a gray jacket with stripes, and dark pants, while the third was seen in a dark hooded shirt and dark pants. Despite the release of the video and descriptions, as of late December 2017, no arrests had been made, and the investigation was ongoing. The motive for the shooting remained unclear to investigators in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
