16-Year-Old Girl Killed by Stray Bullet Near Bronx School: NYPD

Police in the Bronx say a 16-year-old girl died after being shot in the head near a school.

Monday just after 5 p.m., cops say gunshots were heard near the building of The Bronx Latin School in Morrisania, near the corner of Home Street and Tinton Avenue.

Early reports from several law enforcement sources say that two groups of teens were fighting near the school before a fight broke out. Police say that one of the teens involved in the fight was given a gun and shots were fired into the crowd.

The 16-year-old girl was riding her bike when at least one bullet hit her in the head, seriously hurting her.

“When the shots are fired, who we believe to be an unintended target is struck and she immediately falls to the ground with a gunshot wound to the head as the other children run away for their lives,” said NYPD Chief Jessica Tisch. “She is not engaged in the fight and immediately walks over to another male at the edge of the group who attempts to pull her to a brick wall for cover.”

The NYPD stated that she died at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln after being taken there. Later, the girl was named Evette Jeffrey. She was a student at Morris High School, which is close by.

Police say she was in a school yard when she was killed by a stray bullet. It was said that the NYPD was looking for a 14-year-old suspect in the killing, but no one had been caught yet.

It wasn’t clear if the kids who got into the fight went to the school where it happened.

An probe is still going on.