Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Zahir Davis was arraigned and remanded today on charges of murder in the second degree, gang assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon for the shooting death of 15-year-old Jaden Pierre in Roy Wilkins Park in St. Albans on April 16.

District Attorney Katz said: “This murder has shocked and outraged our city. As alleged, unarmed 15-year-old Jaden Pierre was mercilessly beaten by a group of teens in Roy Wilkins Park when defendant Zahir Davis pulled out a silver handgun and – without provocation – shot the victim once in the chest, killing him. The defendant then allegedly took a flight to the island of Jamaica to evade responsibility. This senseless act of gun violence will not go unanswered. No parent should ever have to bury their 15-year-old child, and my office will vigorously prosecute this case to ensure justice for Jaden and his loved ones.”

Davis, 18, of Springfield Gardens, was charged in a criminal complaint with murder in the second degree, gang assault in the first degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He was arraigned this morning before Judge Michael Hartofilis, who remanded the defendant and ordered him to return to court on April 29. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

Davis was also arraigned on a separate criminal complaint charging him with two counts of aggravated harassment in the second degree and harassment in the second degree for allegedly threatening to shoot his ex-girlfriend, who is the mother of his child, on April 12.

District Attorney Katz said that, according to the charges, on April 16, at approximately 6:15 p.m., Jaden Pierre was at Roy Wilkins Park with a large group of teenagers who gathered for a water fight advertised on social media.

During the gathering a group of boys attacked Jaden, punching and kicking him repeatedly. As the group of boys continued to surround Jaden, the defendant allegedly approached the victim, 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 Friday evening. He surrendered to members of the NYPD’s 113^th Precinct.

The investigation into 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.