In Queens, an AK-47 toting gunman shot and killed a teen boy outside a house party shortly after midnight on December 29.
The Queens AK-47 shooting is currently under investigation after the Rockaways gunfire left the 17-year-old dead, and casings from that type of weapon were found at the scene.
Gothamist identifies the Queens AK-47 victim as Xavier Granville of Far Rockaway, and notes the teen lived just two miles from the scene of his murder. The New York City-centric blog reports that Granville was “ambushed” outside the gathering by two masked gunmen, and that the teen was rumored to be involved with a gang — although there is no confirmation that the death was gang-related.
MyFoxNY indicates that the intended victim in the Queens AK-47 murder isn’t discernable as of yet, alleging that the fete was “breaking up and the boy was apparently drunk and milling about the property… people walked up to the partygoers and fired at the crowd. Police were not sure if the boy was the intended target of the gunman.”
Police have not confirmed the murder victim had been drinking prior to the killing, nor why consumption of alcohol would be a relevant factor in Granville’s death.
The New York Daily News spoke with Granville’s mother, who says her son had hoped to become a marine biologist.
Shakira Granville told the paper:
“My son didn’t deserve to go out like this… The pain I feel. I’m just in shock.”
Police in Queens found AK-47 assault rifle shell casings as well as evidence a.45 pistol was used during the gunfire. No arrests have yet been made in the teen’s murder.