A Bronx mother says she is reeling after learning that the man accused of killing her 21-year-old son inside River Park Towers is back home in the building, released with only an ankle monitor. Melinda Barnwell told reporters that photos and memories are all she has left of her son, who was fatally shot in April. Neighbors say the trouble started over loud music and that the accused shooter is a 76-year-old neighbor, Gilbert Smalls.
Judge Signs Off On Release After No Pushback From Prosecutors
According to News12 New York, Smalls’ attorney filed a bail application in April, and prosecutors did not oppose it. The outlet reports that a judge then approved Smalls’ release on May 11 with an ankle monitor, and that the family was notified of the filing. News12 also reports that Smalls is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 2.
Police Say Noise Beef Inside Tower Turned Into Deadly Shooting
As reported by ABC7 New York, police say the shooting happened around 10:20 p.m. in April at 30 Richman Plaza in Morris Heights. Officers arrived to find a 21-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the torso, and he later died at St. Barnabas Hospital. ABC7 reports that 76-year-old Gilbert Smalls was charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon after investigators say he told officers, "I'm the one who shot him."
Grieving Family Wants Straight Answers, Not Legal Fine Print
News12 quotes Melinda Barnwell saying her son was just starting his adult life and preparing to become a father, and that his girlfriend is pregnant with twins. "Photos and memories are all I have left of my son," she told reporters. Barnwell says Smalls’ release has left her afraid for her neighbors and angry that she never got a clear explanation of how it happened. The family says they were notified of the bail filing but are now pressing prosecutors and the court for answers about the decision.
Where Ankle Monitors Fit Into Bronx Pretrial Decisions
Data and guidance from the Bronx district attorney’s office state that judges have several pretrial options, including release on recognizance, non-monetary conditions, electronic monitoring, monetary bail or remand, and that conditions can be tailored to the charges and the circumstances of the case. The borough’s pretrial release dashboard notes that electronic monitoring is one of the tools judges may use when setting non-monetary conditions of release. Advocacy and victims’ groups often call for clearer public explanations when prosecutors permit, or do not oppose, release in high-profile cases.
With Smalls awaiting his next scheduled court date, Barnwell’s family says it will keep demanding transparency about prosecutors’ actions and the court’s reasoning. The case is expected to stay under a local microscope as the September hearing approaches and new court documents are filed.
