Five men have been arrested today in the shooting of a Bronx teen who was struck in the head by a stray bullet Monday afternoon, police said.
Vada Vasquez, 15, was struck by a single bullet, allegedly shot by Carvett Gentles, a baby-faced 16 year-old, police said.
SHOCK, GRIEF AS GIRL IS SHOT DOWN IN CROSSFIRE
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the alleged shooter has no criminal record.
Police also arrested Rohan Francis, 18; Cleve Smith, 20; Clivie Smith, 19; and Dwayne Taylor, 23, in connection with the incident that occurred in Morrisania.
The four are believed to be members of a group affiliated with the Bloods street gang, Kelly said.
“They were teenagers with significant crimina records and the only one who doesn’t have one is the immediate shooter,” said Kelly.
Cops said no gun recovered, but they did find six .40 caliber shells.
While they were walked into police cars this morning, one of them yelled to reporters: “My name is Cleve Smith and I ain’t do shit. We’re innocent. They’re setting us all up.”
All five are expected to be arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court later today.
Vasquez continues to cling to life after she was struck on her way home from Bronx Latin HS. She remains in a medically-induced coma and is in critical condition at Lincoln Hospital, her family said.
“We’re not thinking about [the shooter],” said Vazquez’s sister, Mandy Boodram, 28. “We’re thinking about Vada. We just want her to wake up. That’s all we care about.”
Boodram added that she wants Vazquez “to see us and remember us,” saying that doctors have warned the family that the teen could have speech and memory problems once she comes out of her coma.
Police believe the shooting stems from a Rikers Island jail beef.
Investigators say Gentles — who rode up on a bike to the corner of Home Street and Prospect Avenue in Morrisania — was aiming for 19-year-old gangster Tyrone Creighton, who was struck in the leg and abdomen. But one of his bullets struck Vasquez as she stood nearby.
Creighton, who is out on bail on attempted-murder and drug charges, was targeted because one of his two older brothers, who are both in Rikers awaiting trial for murder, beat up a man in jail and the gunman was out for revenge.
Boodram said it is “hard to stomach knowing that the [shooter] is that young. My sister is 15 — just a year younger than the shooter.”
In a statement, Gentle’s mother said, “The events over the past couple of days has been tragic. We are heartbroken over the whole incident. We pray daily for young Vada Vasquez and Tyrone Creighton and hope they will make a speedy recovery. We express our deepest sympathy to both families.”