Teen Who Gunning Down 15-Year-Old in NYC Park Found After Weeks on the Run

Teen Flees to Jamaica After NYC Park Killing but Murder Charge Awaits Him at JFK

An 18-year-old accused of gunning down a 15-year-old boy in a New York City park is now in custody after allegedly fleeing the country in the immediate aftermath of the deadly shooting.

Police say Zahir Davis was arrested Friday night, nearly two weeks after 15-year-old Jaden Pierre was killed during a violent outbreak at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens. According to authorities, Davis left for Jamaica the day after the shooting and was taken into custody as soon as he arrived back in New York at around 9:20 p.m.

The arrest marks a major development in a case that has stunned the city and raised fresh outrage over the kind of senseless street violence that keeps claiming young lives.

Investigators say Pierre was among a group of teenagers who gathered at the park around 6:20 p.m. on April 16 for what had reportedly been promoted on Instagram as a water gun fight. But what was supposed to be a carefree teen meetup turned into chaos when a bitter gang-related confrontation allegedly exploded into deadly violence.

Horrifying video of the incident reportedly captured the moment Davis pulled the trigger, sending Pierre crashing to the ground as terrified teens scattered in every direction.

Pierre was shot in the chest and rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Davis’ arrest Saturday morning. He has now been charged with murder.

The case has left Pierre’s family devastated. His mother, Shantelle Weston, spoke through her grief in the days after her son’s death.

“My son was a sweet kid,” she told The Post. “He was very respectable and he really did not deserve that, he really did not deserve that at all.”

The tragedy has become yet another grim reminder of how quickly public spaces can turn deadly when young people get caught up in gang-fueled violence. What began as a social media-hyped gathering ended with one teenager dead, another facing a murder charge, and a family left mourning a life cut short.