In a heartbreaking incident in Jamaica, Queens, a 14-year-old male, Jamauri Mezar, lost his life inside what should have been the safety of his own home. On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Mezar was with three friends in his family's third-floor apartment on 161st Street when a firearm, brought to the gathering by one of the friends, discharged.
The single shot struck Mezar in the head, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services who responded to a 911 call around 5 p.m.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting was one of chaos and sorrow, as Mezar's friends reportedly fled the apartment. The devastating news was met with unimaginable grief by his family, particularly his mother, a nurse, who returned home to the tragic scene. Her anguish was witnessed by neighbors as she arrived, desperate to see her son. The community, including classmates from MS38, mourned the young boy's passing, holding a vigil with candles and balloons to remember him.
In the wake of the tragedy, the New York Police Department launched an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, focusing on how the gun came to be in the possession of the teenagers. The investigation quickly led to a person of interest, and by the following morning, a 15-year-old boy, described as a longtime friend of Mezar's since the third grade, was taken into custody.
The 15-year-old, whose name has not been released due to his age, was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. Following an appearance in Family Court, he was ordered to be held at a juvenile facility. The investigation by the NYPD remains ongoing as they continue to piece together the events that led to the untimely and tragic death of a young boy in his Queens home.
