By Dan Murphy
The City of Mt. Vernon, and the Westchester community, are mourning the dealth of 14-year old Zyaire Fernandes, who was shot and killed on March 9 at the Levister Towers housing complex.
From the Mount Vernon Police Department: Mount Vernon Police Department Detectives are investigating a shooting that left one dead. At around 10:35 AM on Thursday, March 9, 2023, Mount Vernon Police Officers responded to the courtyard of the Levister Towers complex for a report of shots fired with a person struck. When first responders arrived, they located a Mount Vernon youth apparently a victim of a gunshot wound. Mount Vernon Police Officers and Firefighters immediately began to aid the victim, who was then transported to Montefiore Mount Vernon Emergency Room. The victim was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the emergency room. Detectives from the Mount Vernon Police Department are investigating this incident with the assistance of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Westchester County Police Real Time Crime Center. Mount Vernon Police ask that anyone with information regarding this incident contact the MVPD Detective Division at 914-665-2510. All calls will be kept confidential. You can also submit an anonymous tip via our “Text-A-Tip” by texting “MVPD” and your tip to 847411.
The family of Zyaire released his name and shortly after a GoFundMe page was set up to pay for funeral costs. “We are coming together to celebrate the life of our beloved Zyaire who was taken away from us at just the young tender age of 14 years young. We are coming to our community to ask for your help in sending our boy off in the manner in which he deserves to be sent off. Like the hero he was. If you knew Zy you knew that infectious smile, the lovable laugh, and the loyalty he felt to his family and friends at all time. He was a good kid with a good heart that didn’t deserve this to happen to him and as community we need to come together to stop the violence . It starts with all of us. So in this time of mourning we ask for all yall prayers, love, and any contributions you can give to help with us sending our boy off right. Even if you have nothing to give, a kind word and share of this post would be doing more than you could imagine. Thank you for taking time to read our post and we hope you all stay safe out here. God Bless,”
the link to the post is https://www.gofundme.com/f/celebrating-the-life-of-zyaire-fernandez?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet
A second teen was shot and is recovering.
Mount Vernon City School District Acting Superintendent K. Veronica Smith said that Zyaire was a 9th grade student at Mount Vernon STEAM Academy.
“Please be assured that the health, safety, and welfare of our students and staff continues to be our highest priority and we will take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure that our schools continue to be a safe learning environment for our students,” Smith said in a statement on Thursday.
MVPD Lt. Mastrogiorio posted the feelings of many. “My heart goes out (to) the family of this young child who’s life was cut short at the hands of senseless gun violence. Every homicide is an absolute tragedy but a 14 YEAR OLD CHILD, this is heartbreaking!”
Some on social media questioned why Zyaire was not in school that day, but most of us at one time or another “skipped school” when we were young. His mom said it best, “he was good kid, he just followed the wrong crowd.”
