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Crown Heights riots of 1991: A look back at Gavin Cato’s death and the racial unrest that followed

Riots between Crown Heights’ Jewish and black communities erupted on Aug. 19, 1991 after two black children were hit by a station wagon that was part of a motorcade for a Jewish rabbi. Gavin Cato, 7, died instantly, and his 7-year-old cousin, Angela Cato, was severely injured. The driver was not indicted for Cato’s death.

The riots were described in 1993 as “the most extensive racial unrest in New York City in over 20 years” in a report commissioned by then-Gov. Mario Cuomo.

Here’s a look back at the tragic accident and the events that followed.