EGN NEWS DESK
The Bronx teen killed in a broad-daylight taking pictures Thursday bought wrapped up in a mindless social media spat between his girlfriend and one other feminine that escalated to lethal violence, the younger sufferer’s household mentioned Friday.
Laquai Dash, 17, a younger soccer participant who was trying ahead to touring to Spain on a senior class journey, was shot thrice throughout the 4:15 p.m. violence, which erupted a few block from Legacy College High School, which he attended, in accordance with cops and his household.
Shocking video obtained by The Post reveals the second Dash runs throughout Cauldwell Avenue in Melrose as his shooter goals — however he collapses on the alternative sidewalk, unable to keep away from the three bullets that struck his neck and again.
“They don’t be beefing over nothing essential, I’m telling you that now,” the slain boy’s aunt, Lucy White, instructed The Post.
“Everybody speaking s–t on social media, then come out and begin taking pictures. You wanna combat, combat together with your palms! You get beat up, you get beat up, come again one other day. Now these children wish to use each weapon within the ebook.”
The bloodshed started after a web based squabble, throughout which the opposite lady confirmed up at the highschool to combat Laquai’s gal pal, in accordance with Laquai’s grandmother, Vivian Coward, 62.
She additionally allegedly introduced her personal boyfriend alongside for defense, Coward mentioned.
“Laquai’s girlfriend and one other little lady bought right into a combat,” Coward mentioned.
“Laquai’s girlfriend was beating up the opposite little lady. That lady’s boyfriend went and put Laquai’s girlfriend in a chokehold. Laquai then put him in a chokehold to get him off his girlfriend, so he rotated and shot Laquai within the neck.”
Laquai was taken to Lincoln Medical Center, the place he was pronounced dead.
The killer remains to be at massive and unidentified.
“This was throughout social media,” Coward mentioned.
“Laquai died over nothing. It was mindless. Wholly mindless.”
Neither the shooter nor his girlfriend attended the identical highschool with Laquai, who had been relationship his personal gal pal because the begin of the educational 12 months, in accordance with his household.
Laquai was a “respectable child” and a “good grandson” who additionally loved spending time along with his buddies — and would depart residence early within the morning to get up his buddies and encourage them to go to highschool with him, his grandmother mentioned.
He deliberate to go to Spain along with his classmates on the finish of the month, and hoped to land a profession within the hospitality trade, in accordance with his grandma.
“He wished to work in inns,” Coward mentioned. “His buddy’s father works in inns and he likes what his buddy’s father does.”
“He beloved his household. Every day he would go to his cousins’ home,” Laquai’s grandmother recalled. “It hasn’t sunk in. But it has sunk in to his little sister.”
Laquai’s sister, Nia’sky Dash, 12, mentioned she discovered her brother was shot when she returned residence from Legacy College Middle School.
“My brother was actually sort. He was all the time there for me,” Nia’sky mentioned.
“He meant the world to me. I knew I all the time had him. Even when the world was towards me, he had me.”
“Even although he isn’t right here, I do know he’s trying over me, ensuring that I’m protected and OK,” the pre-teen added.
“I simply beloved him.”
No arrests had been made by Friday afternoon in connection to Laquai’s homicide, police mentioned.
Natalie Chavez, 35, whose children attend P.S.157, mentioned she and different dad and mom had been urging cops to extend patrols since Legacy College Prep High School opened round three years in the past.
An elevated police presence is required as a result of the older children are always combating and smoking pot within the adjoining Grove Hill Playground, Chavez mentioned.
“I begged the police, ‘Let’s not wait till one in all these children will get killed,’ and look what’s occurred,” she mentioned.
“The police let a 17-year-old die as an alternative of standing out right here. Come on, that’s a child that died.”
The block and playground have develop into lawless, and vehicles belonging to oldsters and academics have been repeatedly vandalized exterior the elementary college, Chavez mentioned.
“They’re breaking the home windows for enjoyable, simply to vandalize, they don’t take something,” Chavez mentioned.
“There’s a whole lot of fights happening.”
“You see the scholars in Legacy uniforms smoking weed within the playground,” the involved mother added.
“That college is horrible. Now it’s important to be scared that they’re carrying. How many children must die?”
The deadly taking pictures got here only a week after 13-year-old Troy Gill was shot dead by a rival gang in Crown Heights, police sources instructed The Post.
