Family, Friends Mourn Slain 13-Year-Old, 2nd Teen Arrested

Yesterday, the funeral of 13-year-old Kevin Miller was held in a Jamaica church, a week after he was hit by a stray bullet from gang gunfire. Queens DA Richard Brown also announced that a second suspected Crips gang member was arrested for Miller's murder, "This case is another example of the mindless gun-related violence and street gang mentality that turns our streets into battlefields and too often takes innocent lives and recklessly endangers public safety."

Miller, a freshman at Campus Magnet High School in Cambria Heights, had been walking from school to McDonald's last Friday when a fight between the Bloods and Crips broke out. Miller was fatally hit while a 17-year-old car wash employee was wounded. DA Brown said that Gregory Calas, 18, was arrested and awaiting arraignment on second-degree murder, second-degree assault and other charges. Earlier this week, Nnonso Ekwegbalu, 16, apparently confessed to shooting Miller and faces similar charges.

Calas's mother reacted to her son's arrest, telling the News, "They have the wrong guy. He was there but there was no evidence he shot anyone. My son isn't the kind of person who runs around with a gun. This is scary. I hope they catch the right person." And Miller's grieving mother said at the funeral, "Maybe it will wake up some young people who are into gangs or thinking about gangs and they'll just see it's just so wrong."