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Case Description
Any updates on this case?
Yusef Kirriem Hawkins, a 16-year-old African American teenager from East New York, Brooklyn, was tragically killed on August 23, 1989, in the predominantly Italian-American neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Hawkins and three friends had gone to Bensonhurst to inquire about a used car that was advertised for sale. Unbeknownst to them, a group of white youths, numbering between 10 to 30, had gathered in the area, armed with baseball bats and a handgun. The mob was reportedly lying in wait for ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (6)
See any mistakes?Victim Details
Yusef Kirriem Hawkins AKA Yusuf Hawkins
Male
Black / African American
Brooklyn
NY
1989-08-23
16
Yusef
Hawkins
11/12/2025
Forum Posts (3)
I came across Yusef Hawkins' case while reading about racial tensions in NYC during the late '80s, a... ...Read More
12/16/2023
12/16/2023
I keep thinking about the role of the media during the Yusef Hawkins case. It was shocking to see ho... ...Read More
11/10/2023
11/10/2023
I'm still haunted by the sheer senselessness of Yusef Hawkins' murder. One aspect that doesn't get t... ...Read More
06/05/2023
06/05/2023
