An innocent 16-year-old girl was shot in the head and killed outside a Bronx charter school Monday evening, according to police and law enforcement sources.
A dispute between two groups escalated outside the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health & Science Charter School just after 5 p.m. and a member of one group — believed to be another teen — opened fire, striking the girl, who sources said was an innocent bystander.
One of the victim’s friends tried to shield her as the gunfire erupted, but couldn’t save the teen, according to a source.
Paramedics rushed her to Lincoln Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of Home Avenue and Tinton Avenue outside the charter school, which serves grades six through 12. Representatives for the school could not be reached for comment.
The teen’s killing would be the first murder in the 42nd Precinct this year. The Bronx has seen a precipitous decline in violent crime in the first quarter of the year, with a nearly 30% drop in murders and a 30% drop in shootings borough-wide from last year.
Police recovered three shell casings at the scene of the fatal shooting and are still investigating.
There were no arrests made as of Monday evening, and the shooter remains on the loose.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona.
