A young man was stabbed to death on Thursday night after a large brawl erupted at Little Bay Park in Queens, turning a quiet waterfront green space into the scene of a deadly attack. Authorities say the violence broke out on the park's soccer field, where a large group of young people had gathered before the fight spiraled out of control.
According to police, as many as 20 teenagers and young people believed to have been involved in the brawl fled the scene at around 8:30 in the evening, escaping on mopeds and other two-wheeled vehicles. Two of those mopeds were left behind, abandoned just feet from where the victim was found, in what would become the middle of the police perimeter.
MTA police who were patrolling the area discovered the young man stabbed in the back. Medics rushed him to the hospital, but despite their efforts he could not be saved, and he died from his injuries. The victim had not been identified as the investigation got underway.
No arrests had been made, and the stabbing remained under investigation. Police said it was not clear what had sparked the fight that led to the killing, and officers were searching both for whoever wielded the knife and for the roughly two dozen other young people who had been involved in the melee before scattering.
Residents who frequent the park described it as a place that feels safe by day but becomes isolated after dark. Surrounded by the water and the highway, the green space has little supervision at night, and locals said they have been pushing for more patrols and surveillance in the area for years, long before this latest tragedy.
Some of those residents pointed to a separate, ongoing concern that they say has made the park feel less safe, with riders bringing mopeds and similar vehicles down into the park area at excessive speeds. With children and cyclists also using the space, they warned, such riding can easily injure pedestrians, adding to the unease about how the park is policed.
Local Councilwoman Vicky Paladino said she was aware of the investigation in her district and took to social media to react, calling the killing extremely rare for the area and warning that it did not bode well for what the community could expect over the summer. She said she and her office were in direct contact with the precinct and with Queens North as officers worked the case.