On a spring afternoon in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the life of 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore was tragically cut short on April 1, 2026. The infant girl was in her stroller when she was struck by a stray bullet. Her mother, seeking refuge from the sound of gunshots, rushed into a nearby store, only to make the devastating discovery that her daughter was bleeding. Kaori's father hurried her to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
The same gunfire also grazed Kaori's 2-year-old brother, who was also in the stroller.
Investigators quickly determined the shooting was likely gang-related and that the infant and her family were not the intended targets. The senseless act of violence sent shockwaves through the community and prompted a swift police response. The investigation led to the identification of two suspects, 21-year-old Amuri Greene and 18-year-old Matthew Rodriguez. Authorities allege that Rodriguez was driving a moped with Greene as the passenger, and that Greene fired the fatal shot into a crowd.
Following the shooting, the suspects attempted to flee, driving the wrong way down a one-way street and crashing their moped into a vehicle. Greene was apprehended shortly after the crash, while Rodriguez was later arrested in Pennsylvania. Both men have been charged with second-degree murder, attempted murder, assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are being held without bail. If convicted on the murder charge, they each face 25 years to life in prison. The community has mourned the loss of the infant, holding vigils and a funeral where a tiny pink casket was carried by a horse-drawn carriage.
