NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — It was a bloody weekend in New York City as gun violence erupted on the streets.
Police responded to more than a dozen shootings, including the murder of a 17-year-old boy in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
READ MORE: Exclusive Interview With Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter During Her First Day On The Job
Bryan Sanon was one of 10 people shot during a 24-hour timespan over the weekend. His family said he left with a group of friends early Saturday morning to go on a walk and was shot and killed just three blocks away from his home.
CBS2’s Christina Fan spoke with his mother, Juliana Copie Sanon, who still can’t come to terms that her son is gone. The harsh reality of his death is slowly sinking in.
“They shot and killed my baby,” she said through tears.
She was on her way home to make 17-year-old Bryan Sanon his favorite homemade pizza for dinner, when an alert came across her phone about a nearby shooting.
“I said, ‘Can you imagine, this early morning, a 17-year-old got shot,’ not knowing it was my son,” Copie Sanon told Fan.
(CBS2)
Police said Sanon and two other teenagers were walking near Farragut Road and East 82nd Street early Saturday morning when a gray sedan pulled up, someone jumped out and started shooting.
One teen was shot in the face, the other in the leg. Sanon was killed.
READ MORE: Paterson, N.J. Set To Receive $63.7 Million From American Rescue Plan
“To know that I will never see my baby again, he was just a baby, 17,” Copie Sanon said.
The mother’s heartbreak replayed in the homes of many more families over weekend. Between Friday and Sunday, there were at least 13 shootings resulting in 20 victims.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams reacted to the bloodshed Monday, stressing the need for a mentorship connection between violence interrupters and young New Yorkers at risk of engaging in gun violence.
“We know in order to heal old wounds and build new partnerships, it’s going to require bold action. So we have implemented strategies that support community safety, treat community trauma and build community strength,” said Williams.
Copie-Sanon said her son was quiet, mostly kept to himself and was known at school as the kid who was always the first to help break up a fight. Never thinking he’d fall to violence.
“I just want to know who did this to my baby and why. What did he do to deserve such a horrible death?’” Copie-Sanon said.
In an effort to combat all of the recent violence, the mayor and public advocate announced Monday that they will be launching a pilot program that pairs up mentors in the community with at-risk youth.
MORE NEWS: Cuomo Aide, COVID Vaccine Czar Larry Schwartz Under Fire Over Phone Calls Gauging Political Support For Governor
CBS2’s Christina Fan contributed to this report.
