Watch CBS News

Sources: Person Of Interest Being Questioned After Second Teen Hit By Stray Bullet In Queens

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sources say detectives have been questioning at least one person of interest linked to two separate stray bullet shootings in Jamaica, Queens.

The possible suspect turned himself in to police.

So far, there have been no arrests.

The family of a 14-year-year old boy who was killed says they'll do all it takes to make sure no other family experiences their pain.

Akiba Griffin spoke by the basketball court at the Baisley Park Houses in Jamaica where her nephew Aamir Griffin was gunned down Saturday night, vowing to make sure he did not die in vain.

"My family is willing to do whatever it takes, along with the leaders of this community, to make sure this does not happen again. Because we don't need any more cases like this," she said.

Griffin was playing basketball when police say a gunman opened fire from 100 yards away. A stray bullet hit him in the chest.

Police released surveillance video of two men running from the scene.

Sources say someone believed to have witnessed the shooting may have been the target at another shooting Monday afternoon.

"I heard two shots, boom, boom. Then I saw the kids running down the block," witness Michael Richardson said.

Police say a 16-year-old a girl, a junior New Dawn High School in Jamaica, was shot in shoulder by a stray bullet outside her school. Police are searching for three men in connection to the shooting. It's not yet known if any of them are the same men seen in Saturday's surveillance video.

Tuesday, a young man walked into the 113th precinct station house in Queens saying he knew police were looking for him.

"What happened to my nephew was senseless, unprovoked and unnecessary," Akiba Griffin said.

She was joined by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and other local elected officials who believe the talented high school basketball player's death could have been prevented if he had an indoor place to play. The group is asking the city to reopen shuttered neighborhood community centers and create more evening and weekend programs for at-risk kids.

"Nobody wants this foolishness to end more than the people who are behind me and the people who live here and deal with this every single day," Williams said. "It has been weeks and months where the people behind me have been screaming, screaming for help, screaming for assistance to prevent Aamir from dying. To prevent the young lady who was shot yesterday from getting shot. We know what works. We need the investment. We demand the investment."

The 16-year-old girl is recovering at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and is in stable condition. Meanwhile, police are working to determine if the same gun was used in both shootings.

The family of Griffin have set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses at GoFundMe.com/f/Everything-4-Aamir.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74682), logging onto the Crime stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enterings TIP577.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.