Two New York City Teens Charged with Attempted Murder After East Harlem Gunfight with Police
An 18-year-old wearing an ankle monitor and a 15-year-old were arrested after an exchange of gunfire near the Wagner Houses; two other youths were hospitalized in stable condition.
Two teenagers were charged Tuesday with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon after a gunfight that drew return fire from New York City police on the grounds of the Wagner Houses in East Harlem, officials and sources said.
Damien Calhoun, 18, who sources said was wearing an ankle monitor tied to a prior attempted-murder plea, and an unnamed 15-year-old were taken into custody following the 5:30 p.m. Monday confrontation on West 123rd Street, the NYPD said. Two other 15-year-old boys suffered gunshot wounds and were transported to Harlem Hospital in stable condition.
Police said officers were responding to an unrelated 911 call at the NYCHA complex when they heard gunfire and then observed a teenager firing a weapon at other youths. One officer discharged his service weapon at a suspect, and he and a partner pursued the individual, according to the NYPD. Surveillance video obtained by police showed two groups of youths arguing on the street before shots were exchanged.
Investigators were still determining whether the two wounded 15-year-olds were struck by bullets fired by the officer or by gunfire from other youths, police said. Calhoun was found carrying a firearm loaded with a high-capacity magazine in his bag but was not shot during the incident, the NYPD said.
Calhoun was released on a $75,000 bond posted by his family in connection with a separate attempted-murder case from last year and was fitted with an electronic monitoring device and ordered to complete school and court-ordered programs, sources familiar with that case said. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder in July, the sources said, and prosecutors told reporters that the new arrest could jeopardize that earlier plea; if convicted on the current charges he faces a prison term of five to 25 years, according to the sources.
The 15-year-old arrested Monday has prior contact with police, sources said, and was previously charged with attempted murder after a separate Aug. 12 shooting in Harlem. A judge had set his bail at $150,000 cash or $450,000 bond, with an electronic monitor as a condition of release; the sources said he was released after prosecutors failed to file an indictment within the time required by Section 180.80 of the New York State Criminal Procedure Law.
Chief of Patrol Phillip Rivera criticized state law changes that he said have contributed to earlier releases of juveniles charged in violent crimes. "Once again we are here discussing the sad realities of youth violence and the consequences of our laws that have allowed some teens who commit violent crimes to evade meaningful accountability," Rivera told reporters Monday night.
Police continued processing the scene Tuesday and said the investigation into the shooting remains active. Officials did not immediately identify the officer who fired his weapon or confirm whether any departmental force inquiries had been opened. The two wounded 15-year-olds were listed in stable condition at Harlem Hospital.
The arrests add to broader concerns in the city about youth-involved gun violence and the challenges facing prosecutors and police in moving older juveniles through the criminal-justice system. City and state officials have said they are monitoring the case; prosecutors and the NYPD declined to provide further comment pending the ongoing investigation and potential court proceedings.