“Brooklyn Mother Mourns Teen Son Gunned Down in Nighttime Shooting”
In the quiet of a Brooklyn night, a mother’s world shattered. Krystal Childs, reeling from the loss of her 18-year-old son, Zanir Childs, took to social media to express her anguish. “I feel like I’m in the twilight zone,” she wrote, grappling with the unthinkable reality of her son’s death. Zanir, known to friends and family as “Zaza,” was gunned down in East New York on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in a shooting that left a community mourning and police searching for answers. The vibrant teenager, remembered for his love of football and infectiousავ
The shooting occurred just before 10 p.m. outside 812 New Jersey Avenue, near Linden Boulevard, across from Public School 36. Police responded to reports of gunfire and found Zanir with a gunshot wound to the torso. An 18-year-old woman, also struck in the right arm, was discovered at the scene. Emergency responders rushed both victims to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. Despite efforts to save him, Zanir succumbed to his injuries. The young woman, whose identity has not been released, was treated and remains in stable condition.
Zanir, a resident of the Boulevard Houses just half a mile from the shooting, was a familiar face in the neighborhood. Neighbors described him as an energetic young man, always surrounded by friends and deeply tied to his community. “He was a regular kid,” said Kevin Lawton, a 40-year-old neighbor who watched Zanir grow up. “He loved playing football, being outdoors, and was close with his mom.” Lawton spoke of the collective grief gripping the Boulevard Houses, where Zanir’s mother was reportedly out of state at the time of the tragedy, adding to the family’s pain.
The shooting sent shockwaves through the East New York community, where residents reported hearing five or six rapid shots pierce the night. “All I seen is the kids running,” said Michael Ferdinand, a 27-year-old neighbor. “A lot of them.” The gunfire, described as a “hail of bullets,” left the block in disarray, with police cordoning off the area to collect evidence. As of Monday evening, May 19, 2025, no arrests have been made, and the motive remains unclear. The New York Police Department is urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, assuring confidentiality for all tips.
For those who knew Zanir, the loss is personal and profound. A longtime resident, identifying only as Ms. Smith, 53, shared her heartbreak: “I’ve known him his whole life. I can’t even process it.” Krystal Childs, in her grief-stricken posts, thanked those who supported her son, writing, “Thank you for loving my Zaza… for recognizing him for who he really is.” She questioned how she would go on without him, adding, “He’s all that I know.”
The tragedy underscores broader concerns about gun violence in New York City, even as the NYPD reports historic crime reductions in 2025, including the fewest shooting incidents in recorded history. East New York, part of the 75th Precinct, has seen its share of violence, though citywide murders are trending downward. The shooting comes amid a string of unrelated violent incidents in Brooklyn, including a March auto body shop shooting and a January mass shooting in Queens, highlighting the persistent challenge of curbing gun violence.
As the investigation continues, the East New York community grapples with grief and fear. For Krystal Childs and those who loved Zanir, the search for justice is intertwined with the struggle to heal. “God gave me this,” Krystal wrote, “so I have to trust him.” The memory of Zanir—29, a young man full of promise, now lives on in the hearts of those he left behind, as Brooklyn mourns a life cut tragically short.
