Painful farewell
Killer cousin of slain teen makes bail, funeral
Inside a Bronx mosque filled with hundreds of mourners and countless tears, the young man whose lethal mistake put his cousin inside a casket joined the rest of his inconsolable family at a Thursday funeral for the slain teen.
Omar Turay, 21, arrived at the Masjid Nur Al Islam mosque only hours after his release on $15,000 bail for the accidental shooting of his close friend and relative Mohammed Touray. The two were messing around with a .25-caliber pistol that went off twice inside the victim’s bedroom, with the second bullet fatally striking the 18-year-old high school student in the chest about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday.
“If you think you’re a Superman when you have a gun, then you’re wrong,” the dead youth’s father Sekou Touray told mourners before the final prayer at the Muslim service.
The victim’s grief-stricken mother received comfort from many in the overflow crowd as she entered the mosque. Prayer mats were placed on the sidewalk outside to accommodate mourners unable to fit inside.
Sekou Touray confirmed that his nephew, who was holding the gun when it went off and mortally wounded Mohammed, was among the mourners. Family members described the cousins as the closest of friends.
The two cousins were listening to music inside the victim’s family’s apartment on Sheridan Ave. near E. 166th St. in the Concourse section of the Bronx when the shooting occurred.
“Mohammed pulled out a gun and showed it to me,” Omar Turay told police, according to court papers.
“Mohammed was dancing to music with the gun in his hand when the gun went off striking the door or wall. I was telling Mohammed about the dangers with guns. About 10 minutes later, Mohammed told me to hold the gun. I removed the magazine.”
Prosecutors say Omar Turay didn’t realize there was a bullet still in chamber when he removed the magazine, setting the stage for tragedy.
“I was attempting to readjust my seat on the bed,” Omar Turay told cops about what happened next, according to the criminal complaint against him. “The trigger must have gotten pulled because the gun fired, striking Mohammed. He told me, ‘You shot me’ and then collapsed. It was an accident.”
Mohammed Touray was rushed to Lincoln Hospital but couldn’t be saved.
Omar Turay, a college student with no previous criminal history, is charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. He is due back in court Monday.
The victim’s family says they don’t want to see Omar Turay jailed over the killing.
Former classmates, teachers and friends flooded the mosque to mourn the death of Mohammed, remembering a talented young man cut down before his time.
“Friendly, smart, always doing his work – doing what he’s got to do,” said Tracee Heidc, the teen’s onetime teacher at Public School 90. “Great student. Loved to play basketball. Very respectful and loved by the community. It’s a very big loss.”
Childhood friend Jaron Johnson, 20, recalled randomly running into Mohammed just a few days earlier.
“The other day, I came up the block and I see him — what a coincidence,” recalled a somber Johnson. “We didn’t know this was coming. It was just a regular day, just ‘Hey, how you been?’ It’s crazy. I love you, bro. Rest in peace.”
Sekou Touray, 60, began to weep as his voice cracked following the end of the emotional service.
“What I want to come out of this is that we don’t want it to happen again,” the devastated dad said. “All our young people … if you think a gun can protect you, you’re wrong. The same gun will kill you. Why don’t you make a better life?”