In the Bronx on the afternoon of May 15, 2023, an altercation outside a smoke shop on Commonwealth Avenue escalated into a fatal shooting. An 18-year-old male, Jerome Burleigh, was assaulted by a group of individuals before he managed to break free and run. As he fled, an assailant opened fire, striking him in the torso. Witnesses reported hearing three gunshots before seeing Burleigh collapse.
Police responded to a 911 call at approximately 5:33 p.m.
and found Burleigh unconscious and unresponsive in front of a residence at 1303 Commonwealth Avenue in the Soundview neighborhood. Emergency services transported him to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, where he was pronounced dead. A resident in the area reportedly comforted Burleigh in his final moments before authorities arrived.
The investigation into the shooting remained ongoing for over a year. In June 2024, law enforcement arrested a suspect in connection with Burleigh's death. Jeremy Amadiz, a 23-year-old resident of the Bronx, was apprehended out-of-state. Amadiz was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly released by authorities.
