Sixteen-Year-Old Tyson Harps Remembered After Tragic Shooting on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, New York — A late-night shooting in Crown Heights has left a community shaken and a family in unimaginable grief after 16-year-old Tyson Harps of the Bronx was found shot in the head on Eastern Parkway Saturday night. The incident occurred near the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Franklin Avenue at approximately 8:47 p.m., according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

Responding officers arrived at the scene after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a young male lying unconscious on the sidewalk. Upon arrival, police discovered Tyson unresponsive, suffering from a severe gunshot wound to the head. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived moments later but could only confirm what no one wanted to believe—Tyson had passed away at the scene.

Authorities have since launched an active investigation, led by the NYPD Major Case Squad and the Crime Scene Unit, who spent hours canvassing the area late into the night. Detectives collected shell casings and reviewed nearby surveillance footage, hoping to identify any individuals seen fleeing the area. Officers also went door-to-door, speaking to witnesses and residents who might have seen or heard something before or after the gunfire.

As of now, no arrests have been made, and no motive has been publicly released. Police sources say they are investigating all possibilities, including whether Tyson was the intended target or an innocent bystander caught in a dispute that escalated without warning.

Tyson Harps, only sixteen years old, was a student and aspiring athlete who loved basketball and dreamed of playing professionally one day. Friends describe him as “quiet but full of energy once you got to know him.” His teachers at his Bronx high school said he had recently spoken about wanting to attend college and study engineering — a path that showed his determination to build a better future.

“He was respectful, humble, and focused,” said one family friend who had known Tyson since childhood. “He wasn’t the type to cause trouble. Everyone loved him — especially the younger kids in the neighborhood who looked up to him.”

Tyson lived with his mother and younger sister in the Bronx. His mother, Danielle Harps, said her son had gone out to meet friends earlier in the evening and never came home. Now, her days are filled with disbelief and grief as she tries to comprehend how her bright, kind-hearted boy’s life could be taken so suddenly.

“I just want to know why,” she said through tears. “He was only sixteen. He had so much ahead of him.”

Community leaders and anti-violence advocates have since gathered at the site of the shooting, placing candles, flowers, and a basketball beneath a growing memorial of tributes. Tyson’s friends wrote messages on posters reading “Fly High, T,” and “We’ll Miss You Forever.”

City officials have condemned the violence, calling on anyone with information to come forward. The NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline is urging witnesses or anyone with video footage from the area to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Anonymous tips can also be submitted online.

For now, the Harps family waits — not just for justice, but for understanding. In a city where too many families know the pain of sudden loss, Tyson’s story stands as another devastating reminder of the fragility of youth and the urgent need to end gun violence.

He was only sixteen, with a heart full of dreams and a life full of promise. Tyson Harps’ family, friends, and community will remember him not for the way his life ended, but for the kindness, laughter, and hope he brought into theirs.

May he rest in peace.
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