A 16-year-old boy was stabbed multiple times inside Rev. T. Wendell Foster Park in the Bronx on Saturday evening, then ran nearly half a mile before collapsing on the Grand Concourse. Police say around 10 people were involved in the attack, which struck near 1055 Jerome Avenue just before 6:45 p.m.
The teen suffered multiple stab wounds to his back, according to the NYPD, as reported by News 12 Bronx. He and a witness ran from the scene after the assault, covering roughly half a mile before the teen went down on the Grand Concourse. Investigators recovered a knife at the scene, though the outlet reports that what led up to the attack was not immediately known.
No description of the person or people responsible had been released as of Saturday night, and police had not made any arrests, per the same account. With around 10 individuals reportedly involved, the case could carry far heavier legal stakes than a standard assault charge if suspects are eventually identified.
Group Attacks Carry Steeper Penalties Under State Law
New York Penal Law § 120.05 addresses Assault in the Second Degree involving intentional injury with a knife or other dangerous weapon, according to the NY State Senate. Gang Assault in the Second and First Degree are addressed under Penal Law § 120.06 and § 120.07 — Class C or B violent felonies, per the NY State Senate. The charges, if any, would depend on the facts and applicable law.
A Park Named for a Bronx City Council Member
The park where the stabbing occurred was renamed in 2021 for Reverend T. Wendell Foster, replacing the name of Mullaly Park, according to 6sqft. Foster was the first Black member of the City Council to represent the Bronx, per NYC Parks.
The park complex includes the Wendell Foster Recreation Center.
The NYPD's 44th Precinct patrols 1.97 square miles of the southwestern Bronx, including the Grand Concourse, Yankee Stadium, and Bronx Terminal Market, from its station house at 2 East 169th Street, according to the NYPD.
A separate knife attack involving a teenager was reported just days earlier, on September 14. A 17-year-old student was punched and stabbed near Taft High School on East 172nd Street by three suspects who fled the scene, in an incident described in a separate report.
Community Violence Prevention Efforts in Place
No arrests had been made as of Saturday night, and police have not released a description of any suspects.
