Nationwide — Kaori Patterson-Moore, a 7-month-old African American child from New York City, was killed after being struck by a stray bullet while in her stroller in Brooklyn. Two suspects have since been arrested and charged in connection with the drive-by shooting, which police described as gang-related.
The shooting unfolded on Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Humboldt and Moore streets. Kaori’s mother, Lianna Charles-Moore, was pushing her baby in a stroller while also caring for her two-year-old son when gunfire suddenly broke out on the street. The baby was hit in the head, while her brother was grazed but unharmed.
According to The Guardian, police identified the shooter as 21-year-old Amuri Greene. He allegedly fired from the back of a speeding moped while moving through the area. Greene later told investigators he was aiming at another person in the crowd.
After the shooting, surveillance footage showed the moped traveling the wrong way down a one-way street before crashing into a car two blocks away. Both riders were thrown off. Greene was injured, hospitalized, and later taken into custody.
A second suspect, 18-year-old Matthew Rodriguez, was arrested on Friday in Pennsylvania following a joint operation between NYPD detectives and U.S. marshals. Police have not yet detailed his exact role, but both men now face charges tied to Kaori’s death. Greene has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
Investigators say Greene has known gang connections in Brooklyn. They are also looking into whether Kaori’s father may have been the intended target. Community leaders have offered a reward for information as officials continue to express grief over the child’s death.
Kaori’s family remembers her as a joyful infant who had just begun crawling and saying “Mama.” Her mother said, “My daughter was innocent. She didn’t deserve that.”