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Yusef Hawkins

Case from Brooklyn, NY dated Aug 23, 1989

Victim Details

Yusef Kirriem Hawkins AKA Yusuf Hawkins

Male

Black / African American

Brooklyn

NY

1989-08-23

16

Yusef

Hawkins

07/15/2026

Case Description

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On the evening of August 23, 1989, a sixteen-year-old Black male named Yusef Hawkins traveled from his neighborhood in East New York to the predominantly white and Italian-American community of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He was accompanied by his younger brother and two friends, with the intention of looking at a used 1982 Pontiac that was for sale. Their simple errand took a tragic turn when they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, walking into a racially charged ambush.

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Links to Additional Sources (5)

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  • Time: 'Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn' Is Required Viewing for 2020
  • Murder of Yusef Hawkins - Wikipedia
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    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
    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
    I'm still haunted by the sheer senselessness of Yusef Hawkins' murder. One aspect that doesn't get t... ...Read More
    06/05/2023
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