BY KEITH J. KELLY | Two young men descended in an elevator in the Campos Housing complex on E. 12th Street Thursday night and when they reached the lobby, a waiting gunman opened fire.
Jaden Stokes, 21, was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Sources told The Village Sun the second victim was identified as Jordon Morillo, 24, and that he was wounded in the leg but in stable condition at Bellevue.
The gunfire erupted around 7:30 p.m. in the New York City Housing Authority complex at 635 E. 12th St., at Avenue C. Police said six shell casings were recovered at the scene.
Cops said they are searching for the gunman, who was described as dark-complexioned and was seen in surveillance video obtained by police as wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt with red-and-white sneakers. Bystanders on the scene said he was seen fleeing east on 12th Street toward Avenue B.
One neighbor on the scene who knew the more seriously injured victim but had not heard he had died told The Village Sun, “I’m surprised. He was a good kid with his whole life ahead of him.”
At the time, it was not known that Stokes had died, but numerous people at time said he was unlikely to survive the attack and had been struck multiple times.
Another neighbor who lived across the street was watching the news about the latest violent incident on NY1 when he realized the incident was right across the street. He said he saw two ambulances transporting the victims to Bellvue Hospital.
A GoFundMe fundraiser led by Stokes’s brother to help pay for funeral arrangements had already garnered nearly $2,500 as of early Friday.
It was the second shooting in the East Village in six days. Late Friday night a gunman opened fire near a weed shop on St. Mark’s Place, striking one victim in the torso and shutting down the heart of the East Village nightlife scene for hours until the early morning of Saturday. That shooting victim, who was not identified, was expected to survive.
Compose Plaza needs to be saged. Is something about that place that people die. First that kid Elliot was murdered in front of that building then his best friend Nikki “jumped” supposedly the people don’t believe that. He has a sister named Mia who swear she’s Marilyn Monroe who has an older brother that’s doing life in prison because he also killed someone in front of that building. Then that guy Jay shot his leg in the elevator like an idiot and now these two guys get shot in that same elevator? That kid Keith was murdered also. That place is evil.
Great Reporting. Thanks.
Great reporting, Ace!
As “The Killer” Jerry Lee Lewis exits, he’s tearing up the keyboard with his hit — “Whole Lotta Shootin’ Goin’ On.”
Love the noir writing, Keith, too bad the violence is in our own nabe.
This is the official go fund me for the victim, Jaden Stokes, organized by his siblings. We would appreciate if you could update your story to include it.
https://gofund.me/67531233
Great, Informative article. Nice Reading. Thanks.