QUEENS, NY – Police have released a new image of a suspect wanted in the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Malakai Adams near an apartment complex in Edgemere. The boy was shot in the back Monday afternoon, and investigators say the gunman then rode off on Adams’ scooter.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. on Ocean Channel Drive. By Tuesday, the NYPD had shared the photo in hopes of identifying the person seen leaving the area shortly after the gunfire.
No arrest had been announced as of Tuesday afternoon, and police have not said whether the two knew each other.
Witnesses describe panic after the shooting on Ocean Channel Drive
People nearby described a chaotic scene after the shooting. Rhea Lowe, who saw the aftermath, said there were children and adults in the area and that many looked frightened and upset.
She said people were running around and screaming after the gunfire. The shooting took place in a busy residential area, adding to the shock felt by those who were there when officers arrived.
Police have not publicly identified a motive. They also have not said what led up to the shooting or how the confrontation began.
Photo shows suspect leaving on victim’s scooter
The image released by police shows the suspect riding away on what investigators say was Adams’ scooter. Police said the person was wearing a black hoodie and a mask.
That detail has become one of the central clues in the case. Detectives are still trying to recover the scooter, which they say has not yet been found.
The photo was released a day after the shooting, as investigators continued to piece together the suspect’s movements in the moments after the boy was shot.
Family and neighbors mourn a 14-year-old with his whole life ahead of him
Adams’ death has left a family grieving and a neighborhood shaken. In a GoFundMe created to help cover funeral costs, his mother wrote that her son had “his whole life ahead of him” and had dreams and milestones still ahead.
The fundraising message reflects the suddenness of the loss. At 14, Adams was at an age when family members say he should have been looking toward school, friends and future plans, not a funeral.
Residents and witnesses described sadness in the area after the shooting, with people gathered near the scene trying to make sense of what happened.
Anti-violence activist calls for community checkpoints and an end to shootings
On Tuesday, anti-violence activist Minister Isaac Mickens visited the neighborhood and called for action to stop further violence. He said community checkpoints could help prevent what he described as senseless crimes in the area.
Mickens said such measures could stop those crimes immediately. His comments came as neighbors and investigators continued to deal with the aftermath of a killing that has deepened concern in the community.
The renewed attention follows a deadly shooting that has put the neighborhood back in the spotlight and raised questions about safety in the area.
Adams’ death becomes the sixth murder in the 101st Precinct this year
According to the latest NYPD crime data, Adams’ killing is the sixth murder recorded this year in the 101st Precinct. That precinct covers the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula.
The figure is twice the number of murders recorded in the same period last year, underscoring the rise in homicides in the area. Police have not said whether this case is connected to any other recent violence.
Investigators are still working to determine whether Adams and the shooter knew one another. As the case stands, police say there have been no arrests and the search for the suspect continues.
