In the early morning hours of a Friday in June 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the relative quiet of a Brooklyn street corner, leaving a 17-year-old male, Kieth Kyser, dead and his younger cousin wounded. The two teenagers were ambushed by a group of individuals in what appeared to be a friendly encounter that quickly turned fatal.
Kyser and his 14-year-old cousin had left a gathering at Kyser's home to get food from a nearby deli.
On their way back, at the intersection of Broadway and Jefferson Street in Bushwick, they were approached by a group. One of the individuals extended a hand as if to shake Kyser's, but as this happened, at least one other person pulled out a gun and opened fire.
The sudden violence left Kyser with gunshot wounds to his chest and leg. His cousin was struck in the thigh. Both were rushed to a local hospital, but Kieth Kyser could not be saved and was pronounced dead. The sounds of the gunshots and the subsequent hysterical cries of people at the scene were a jarring disturbance to the neighborhood.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, police began an investigation and brought a person of interest in for questioning. It was reported that the shooting may have stemmed from an ongoing dispute on social media, possibly over a girl. However, despite these initial leads, there have been no publicly available updates on any arrests or the current status of the investigation into the death of Kieth Kyser. The case, like many in a bustling city, seems to have faded from the headlines, leaving a family to mourn and a community with unanswered questions.
