IM NOT SURPRISED THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD,BUT I AM HOW FAR SURPRISED THAT IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO SOMEONE I KNOW.BROTHER...WAS LIKE A COUSIN TO ME I KNOW HIS WHOLE FAMILY,ME AND HIS COUSIN ARE BESTFRIENDS.WHEN I FIRST HEARD THE NEWS ONE OF MY FRIENDS CALLED ME AND TOLD ME BUT I DIDNT BELIVE IT BUT WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS TRUE AND WHERE HE GOT SHOT I STARTED CRYING.

BROTHER WAS CRAZY AS ALL OF HIS FRIENDS KNOW BUT HE WAS SWEET IN SO MANY WASY THEN ONE.I REMEMBER IT WAS DURING THE SUMMER AND I WAS AT MY AUNTS HOUSE AND I SAW HIM AND HIS BROTHER AT 40 PARK PLAYING BALL HE WAS THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO WOULD COME TO YOU IF HE KNEW YOU AND JUST START MESSING LOL BUT THATS MY FRIEND/COUSIN AND HE DIDNT DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THAT.I COULD IMAGINE WHAT HIS MOMS GOING THROUGH TO HAVE TO BURY HER SON AT 12 YEARS OLD,AND NOT ONLY HER BUT HIS OLDER BROTHER TOO,LIKE EVERYTIME YOU SEEN ONE YOU SEEN OR ALWAYS KNEW THE OTHER WAS NOT TO FAR BEHIND!!!

RIP_MARQUIS_AKA_THE BOY EVERYONE KNEW_(LOL)_BROTHER!!

"YEAH U GONE BUT NOT 4GOTTEN

& EVERYDAY THAT WE LIVE SO DO U"

LOVE ALWAYS:MYNAISA

Excellent points made in these comments so far, even while the opinions conflict. I'd never say I have all the answers but there is something I just still don't understand: why are these kids "cooped up in the house"? Why do they "need an opportunity" to do things? What exactly do people mean by "things"? What types of "things" need to be "offered" for the kids to magically stop playing with guns? When I grew up back in the seventies my friends and I were never NOT doing something -- playing ball, playing street games, riding bicycles somewhere, etc., etc., etc. Is it simply that personal safety, and especially for children, is a much riskier situation today? Is that riskier than having guns in the house, or people with guns in the house, and whatever the hell else these alleged "parents" are taking their eyes off the ball for every time some tragedy like this happens?

The facility is only part of the equation. I think the more challenging task is finding more people and ideas to inspire young minds. Your post about the Bronx music teacher who coordinated the Keltic Dreams is a great example. It will be an experience that they will remember for a lifetime.

I think it's also in the community's interest to make sure its residents are safe - if that means having a community center so kids have a place to go, then why not?

tho i'm usually the first to say blame the parents, it's obviously not possible for a parent to watch their kid every second of the day. it IS the community's burden, i'm a part of this community and i have thought in the past that there should be better options for kids around here. i doubt they'll ever be considered as anything but a nuisance to the city.

@ wowthatsucks

i disagree. i happen to live in that neighborhood and the activist quote here is absolutely right in my opinion. there's idle youth everywhere, which is just inviting problems. kids need outlets, and in economically underdevelped areas like the one we are talking about here i would argue that its even more important because the stakes are higher. the community as a whole pays the price when proper outlets for its youth are not in place, and its to the community's advantage to put those structures in place. it'd be nice if every parent had the time and money and wherewithal to raise perfect children and supervise them 24/7, but that's just not reality, and it doesn't serve anyone any good to just say "let's blame it on the parents" and ignore the larger problem. this is a neighborhood with alot of history and populated by good, hard-working, family oriented people with a strong church presence, but they really don't get the kind of money and attention from the city that is really needed. the city's position is more or less to just fudge the crime stats and wait for developers to push out (what they see as) the rabble. and its a shame.

A community activist told WABC 7, "It's a shame. I do support the mayor and the efforts that he's doing with gun control. But we have to do more. I think what's happened is we just have a bunch of kids who are idle. And they just need an opportunity to do things. Unfortunately, they're cooped up in the house. We need more recreation centers and stuff like that. I think that would give them an opportunity to survive a little longer."

BS. Why should it be the community's burden, how about better parenting instead?