NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder for the fatal stabbing of a 13-year-old middle school student on a Staten Island bus in what authorities believe was a gang-related crime.
The victim was identified as Syles Ular, but the accused has not been identified.
The horrifying event occurred on a Friday afternoon, September 6, around 2:30 pm, as the MTA bus was in transit near Hyland Boulevard close to Littlefield Avenue in Eltingville, as reported by the NYPD.
Victim Syles Ular succumbed to multiple stab wounds
The victim, Syles Ular, suffered multiple stab wounds and was swiftly transported to Staten Island University Hospital in Prince's Bay. Tragically, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
According to witnesses, an altercation had erupted on the bus between the suspect and another boy just prior to the stabbing. CBS News reported that during this confrontation, “A knife is produced, and gang signs were being shown back and forth,”
Suspect flees scene before being detained
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell addressed the incident with reporters, revealing that the teenage suspect fled the scene, sprinting several blocks before being apprehended. Several individuals, including a retired NYPD detective, played a crucial role in detaining him.
Chell further noted that investigators believe the motive behind this senseless act of violence was gang-related, characterizing it as a "tragic, tragic homicide." Both the victim and the suspect were students at the nearby Elias Bernstein Intermediate School 7.
Footage reveals horrific incident on Staten Island bus
Officials from the New York City Transit Department of Subways disclosed that the bus's surveillance cameras captured the gruesome event, shedding light on the tragic circumstances.
The 14-year-old suspect was taken into custody on the same evening and now faces charges of murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
"He was nice, kind, smart kid. Quiet. Into sports. Loveable," said Syles's aunt Tasha.
"He was really funny," Syles's cousin Shay said.
"He was the sweetest little boy," Syles's cousin Mimi said.
"He didn't bother nobody ... Playing basketball in the park with little kids that's younger than him and stuff, like, that's sweet," Shay said.
The heart-wrenching loss of Syles Ular has left his family and community in deep grief. His aunt, Ladrina Sheffield, shared that he was a "sweetest kid" and expressed her disbelief over his death.
"His life should not have been taken this way. This is just senseless. I can’t believe my baby is gone,” Sheffield said
