Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zahir Davis was arraigned on an indictment charging him with murder in the second degree, gang assault and weapon possession for the shooting death of 15-year-old Jaden Pierre in Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans on April 16.

District Attorney Katz said: “Jaden Pierre was beaten by other teens and then senselessly shot and killed in Roy Wilkins Park allegedly by 18-year-old Zahir Davis. As alleged, Davis took out a gun from his backpack and killed the unarmed 15-year-old. The defendant was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with murder, gang assault and weapon possession. We are working every day to get guns out of the hands of teenagers. The investigation into other aggressors remains active and ongoing.”

Davis, 18, of Springfield Gardens, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with two counts of murder in the second degree, gang assault in the first degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on June 4. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

A 16-year-old co-defendant, of Brooklyn, was arraigned on May 6 on indictment charges of attempted gang assault in the first degree and assault in the third degree.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on April 16, at approximately 6:15 p.m., a large group of teenagers gathered in Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans for a water gun fight advertised on social media.

During the gathering a group of boys, including the 16-year-old defendant, attacked Jaden and punched and kicked him repeatedly with several other attackers. Jaden was dragged to the ground and returned to his feet with his back against a fence. The 16-year-old allegedly punched Jaden again in the face.

Davis, who was holding a backpack and standing next to the 16-year-old, allegedly pulled out a silver firearm from his bag and shot Jaden in the upper chest.

Jaden fell to the ground and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Davis then fled to the island of Jamaica after the shooting and returned to the United States on April 24. He was apprehended by members of the NYPD’s 113^th Precinct at JFK Airport upon his return.

The investigation into other participants in the gang assault remains ongoing.

Senior Assistant District Attorney John Esposito of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Caitlyn E. Muldoon under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John Kosinski, Bureau Chief, Karen Ross and Jonathan Selkowe, Deputy Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark