A Bronx family is now raising funds to pay for the funeral of their 16-year-old girl who was murdered with a stray bullet fired during a gang brawl on Monday.
Even in death, those closest to 16-year-old Evette Jeffrey say she remains a shining beacon of love as her funeral service approaches. One day after the fatal shooting, Evette Jeffrey‘s grandmother wept to amNewYork over the insurmountable loss.
“No matter what I say, she is not coming back,” she cried.
Despite the heart-wrenching fact that Jeffrey was taken so young, her family says she is still alive in their loving memory. Her uncle, James Serrano, made an emotional plea on a fundraiser set to help pay for his niece’s funeral services.
“Three shots were fired, one of those three striking Evette in the head, killing her on the spot, stealing an angel from not just her family and loved ones but from all of us. Evette just celebrated her 16th birthday on April 13, just one day shy of a month before this tragic incident took place and snatched our baby from us,” Serrano wrote.
Jeffrey was riding her scooter outside Bronx Career and College Preparatory High School when a brawl between the gangs Creep on Davidson and Forest Over Everything. During the incident, the 13-year-old boy handed a 14-year-old boy a gun, and when he opened fire, Jeffrey was struck by a stray bullet.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny reported that cops cuffed the 14-year-old for the killing, but the younger teen remains on the lam.
Jose Sanchez, another uncle, told amNewYork that his niece had aspirations of becoming a nurse and dreamed of saving lives before hers was violently taken.
According to Serrano, the funeral service is scheduled for May 17 and is asking for the public’s help to cover the pricey expenses. As of 4:45 p.m. May 14, the family had raised a little more than $3,000 of the their $20,000 goal.
“Evette Jeffrey was and still is a shining beacon of kindness, love, and unity for our family and the community around her. We plead for your help and support,” Serrano wrote.
