Fifteen-year-old Riley Billingslea was killed in a shooting inside a Bronx apartment Wednesday afternoon, leaving his family searching for answers and calling for justice.
Police say Riley was found with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. A 13-year-old boy was also hurt after being grazed by a bullet in the torso. Riley’s death is being investigated as a homicide.
Riley’s grandmother, Elaine Rogers, remembers him as a loving, playful teenager who was always smiling. She is now urging the person responsible to come forward.
The shooting comes amid concerns about gun violence involving young people.
Community advocate Heather Guerino, of Crusaders for Children’s Rights, says she has seen the impact firsthand and believes more needs to be done to address violence among youth.
NYPD data shows shootings have increased in this part of the Bronx, with 17 reported in the last 28 days compared with nine during the same period last year.