A Brooklyn woman was killed after attempting to reason with several people illegally setting off fireworks in the neighborhood of East New York.

The victim, 33-year-old Shatavia Walls, was just following the advice of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to try resolving non-violent disputes through “community policing,” which does not involve calling actual police officers, Walls’ mother told the New York Post.

“She watched the news. Yes, she heard it,” Walls’ mother Helen Testagros said, referring to Adams’ advice. “It was probably in the back of her mind.”

“It’s not a good idea. You don’t know who you are approaching,” she added. “These kids are not respectful anymore. … They’re more ruthless.”

For weeks leading up to July 4, New York City residents were plagued by people setting off illegal fireworks displays and, at times, turning firecrackers into weapons by firing them off at others. On the Fourth of July, Walls confronted a few people setting off one such illegal display, and told them to move their fireworks away from the children who were playing in the area.

During the confrontation, one person chased Walls into her mother’s apartment building, firing a single shot at Walls while she fled. The bullet missed Walls, and she was able to recover the spent shell casing and the driver’s license of the alleged gunman, which the person had dropped during the chase, Testagros said.

Walls reported the alleged gunman to New York police, though nothing was done, according to Testagros. The New York City Police Department disputed the claim, saying they did not hear about the incident involving Walls and a gunman until July 7, when the same suspect allegedly shot Walls eight times after she confronted another group of people setting off fireworks in the neighborhood. Walls later died at a nearby hospital.

Borough President Adams, who is expected to run for New York City mayor in 2021, had urged people to solve non-violent disputes among themselves without involving police officers to avoid the risk of a police confrontation escalating.

Poster Comment:

Both Walls and the Borough President are black.