Anthonaya Campbell, a 17-year-old Black female, was fatally shot on August 23, 2025, while attending a back-to-school basketball tournament at Haffen Park in the Bronx, New York. Campbell, who was visiting from Hartford, Connecticut with her family, was an innocent bystander watching the game from the bleachers when gunfire erupted. She was struck in the head by a stray bullet and rushed to Jacobi Hospital, where she was placed on life support.
After fighting for her life for over two weeks, Anthonaya succumbed to her injuries and passed away on September 8, 2025. Another individual, 32-year-old Jaceil Banks, was also killed in the mass shooting, and three others were injured.
The shooting was described by authorities as a gang-related incident, with nearly 60 shots fired in the park. In the wake of the violence, the New York Police Department launched an investigation that quickly led to the apprehension of multiple suspects. Four individuals were initially arrested in connection with the shooting, including two teenagers, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old. The adult suspects were identified as 20-year-old Daeven Reyes and 25-year-old Robert Royal. All four were charged with murder, and some also faced charges of gang assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Later reports indicated that a total of ten individuals were arrested and charged in connection with this and other related shootings that occurred around Labor Day weekend.
Anthonaya's mother, Jennifer Talbot, described her daughter as a joyful person with a heart of gold who loved everybody and didn't have an enemy. She had dreams of becoming a speech pathologist and was about to start a patient care technician course. The family, who used to live in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred, was visiting relatives at the time of the tragic incident. Hundreds of people attended a memorial for Anthonaya at Haffen Park, releasing purple and white balloons and wearing shirts with her nickname, "Ming," to honor her memory. Her mother expressed a desire to start a nonprofit in Anthonaya's name to support survivors of gun violence.
