More than a week after a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed in the Bronx, people across the region are calling for an end to gun violence, according to News 12 New York. The station reported that the death has galvanized residents and community members far beyond the neighborhood where it happened.
The boy, Jacob Frates, was from Walden in Orange County, the station reported. He was killed by a stray bullet while riding his bike in the Bronx on Saturday, July 25.
New York City officials and community members stood with the boy's grieving mother at a vigil, according to the report. They gathered to remember Jacob and to press for action against the violence that took his life.
Jacob's mother says she believes a stronger police presence could help prevent future tragedies, the station reported. She questioned whether the shooting would have unfolded the way it did if officers had been stationed nearby.
"If there were cops here in every corner, tell me, would he take out a gun? Would there be a fight if there were two cops on each end here? Not at all," she said, according to News 12 New York.
A 45-year-old man from the Bronx has been charged with Jacob's murder, the station reported. His killing has become a focal point for residents demanding more protection and an end to gun violence in their communities.