In mourning
Information sought about fatal shooting of 17-year-old Johni Dunia Friday night
Cohoes grieves as information is sought on teen’s death.
Police said Friday night’s fatal shooting of a teenager in Cohoes is a homicide.
Johni Dunia, 17, a former Cohoes High School student, was killed on the Mohawk-hudson bike path along Central Avenue near George Street, police said.
The death occurred at the southern end of the bike path in the area that runs parallel to Central Avenue.
Mayor Shawn Morse and the Cohoes Police Department said they want to stress that, at this point in their investigation, the incident appears “to be isolated to the involved parties” and there seems to be no direct threat to the general public.
State Police are working with local law enforcement on the investigation, according to Morse, who did not indicate whether police have made an arrest or are currently searching for a suspect.
At a vigil attended by more than 30 people on Saturday night, parents, classmates and friends remembered Dunia as a “sweet kid” who often tried to make people laugh. Candles were lit in his memory at George Street Park.
One of those attending, who gave his name as Jaylin, 18, said Dunis “was just really funny and like, a clown. He was friends with everyone. He joked around with everyone.”
Emma, 20, who attended high school with Dunia, said, “He was the realest, sweetest, most empathetic person I knew. We were all friends with him and we all love him.”
He also left an impression on older mourners who attended the
vigil. They described Dunia as polite and helpful when he would visit their homes.
“To me, he was a quiet kid,” said Kathleen Hock, whose grandson was a friend of Dunia. “My niece had a crush on him when she’d come up every summer.”
Morse, who was at the vigil scene, said the incident was an “isolated case,” and Cohoes is still a safe place to live.
“We had a tragedy and lives have been changed, and we have a host of people coming down here to kind of lean on each other, and to share stories and people crying, and it’s just really sad for the community to see,” Morse said.
Police are asking that anyone with information about the incident call detectives at 518-233-2146 or the confidential tip line at 518-233-2161.