New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Cops ID boy, 14, killed in shooting
Tyshaun Hargrove was fatally wounded in Fair Haven Wednesday night
NEW HAVEN — A 14-year-old youth was fatally wounded on Chatham Street late Wednesday night, according to New Haven police.
Acting Chief Renee Dominguez identified the teen as Tyshaun Hargrove at a press conference Thursday, saying police were still working to reconstruct the events leading up to his death.
She said it was too early to say whether he may have been targeted, but described the slaying as an “isolated incident.”
Mayor Justin Elicker expressed his sad
ness Thursday, noting the traumatic effect on the community of gun violence.
“What do you say? It’s a tragedy for our community, especially for someone so young. As a father, I just can’t imagine what the family is going through right now,” said Elicker.
The city has taken a series of steps in response to street violence, including expanding walking beats, hiring street outreach and youth workers, restarting a local shooting task force and opening a reentry welcome center to work with those leaving prison, Elicker noted. He thanked officers for their efforts to combat the violence.
Dominguez said detectives would be going back out to continue canvassing the neighborhood and speaking with residents living near the incident, part of an additional police presence in the area.
She asked anyone with any information, no matter how small, to contact the department.
“Any information is helpful,” said Dominguez. “We don’t know. You might have the one piece of information to be able to put some puzzle pieces together for us.”
Officers responded to multiple 911 calls about a person shot on Chatham Street between its intersections with Rowe and Ferry streets at about 10:51 p.m., Officer Scott Shumway said in an email.
“Responding officers located a 14-year-old New Haven resident suffering from gunshot wounds,” said Shumway. “American Medical Response transported the victim to Yale New Haven Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, chief of youth, family and community engagement with the New Haven Public Schools, said support would be offered to the teen’s family.
“It is our department protocol to activate emergency YouthConnect/ Youthstat and support the family,” Joseph Lumpkin said.
Kermit Carolina, supervisor of youth development and engagement for New Haven schools, said an emergency meeting of
Youth Connect would be convened Thursday.
Carolina said the three most immediate priorities for the school system are: to “support the family and make sure the family has the support they need during this time, ensuring no further violence takes place in the community as a result of his death and being prepared to support students who are friends of his that when they enter the school building on Monday, we have the supports in place through our crisis team.”
James Hillhouse High School Principal Glen Worthy Thursday confirmed the teen was to attend the school. “We will mobilize our support team in order to support our students,” Worthy said.
Shenae Draughn, interim president of Elm City Communities, said Thursday the youth was shot in a parking lot outside of the organization’s property in the 100 block of Chatham Street.
People had gathered there preceding the incident, she said. At this time, it’s believed the young man was not a resident of the housing development, known as “Chatham.”
There is no indication development residents were involved, Draughn said. Additional security measures would be taken if deemed necessary, she said, but are not immediately planned.
Social services workers were going door-to-door offering assistance to residents Thursday, she said.
Shumway noted that callers may remain anonymous or submit tips anonymously by calling 1-866888-TIPS(8477) or texting “NHPD plus your message” to 274637 (CRIMES).
Tyshaun was the 19th homicide victim of the year in New Haven.
Before this homicide, Alfreda Youmans, Jeffery Dotson, Jorge Osorio-Caballero, Marquis Winfrey, Joseph Mattei, Kevin Jiang, Angel Rodriguez, Dwaneia Turner, Alessia Mesquita, Jack Hopeton, Tashawn Brown, Mariyah Inthirath, Adrian Barwise, Miguel Ramos, Richard Whitaker Jr., Ciera Jones, Kevan Bonilla and Kevin Mills had been killed in the city to date in 2021.
On behalf of the department, Shumway asked that any witnesses who have not yet spoken with the Police contact the New Haven Police Department Investigative Services Division at 203-946-6304.