A few dozen teens gathered in a community garden in Fordham Heights to plant flowers in honor of various victims of gun violence, as local officials recognized National Gun Violence Awareness Day on Friday, June 5.

 

The “Reclaim the Block” event, hosted by the Office of Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark brought the youngsters to the Bean Morris Community Garden, located at 2096 Morris Avenue, between East 181st Street and Burnside Avenue, where the teens planted perennial orange flowers. Various violence interruption groups like Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.) and Stand Up to Violence (SUV) were also in attendance.

Before the planting began, Clark told those in attendance, “We are here to beautify this park on Gun Violence Awareness Day, to honor gunshot victims, and reclaim an area of violence for the good of the people who deserve peace.” Clark continued, “The annual and perennial orange flowers we will plant represent the lives that still flourish in our minds and in our hearts, even though they were cut short by loss.”

 

Clark added, “Here in The Bronx, we are tragically and sadly aware of gun violence every month and nearly every day, and a terrible fact (is) that more shootings are intended for or committed by young people. My office continues to hold people accountable and provide services to victims and (is) working on prevention by focusing on youth and filling their lives with positive activities.”

 

The district attorney noted that as of June 5, the NYPD recovered nearly 500 guns from Bronx streets during the first five months of 2026, and a day earlier, she announced that charges had been brought against an unnamed 16-year-old male teen who had been arrested following the murder of a 23-year-old Reyna Caceres at Aqueduct Lands Playground in University Heights in the early hours of Thursday, May 28.

Borough President Vanessa Gibson, who was also present, later told the crowd, “Everyday, something is happening across our community. Just yesterday, at Bronx Borough Hall, we had a press conference to recognize this [Gun Violence Awareness] month, but to also speak to young people to make sure that they know there are options for them.” Gibson said that the press conference had coincided with a jobs fair for youth.

 

The borough president continued, “As we plant trees, we do it in honor of a life that was lost, but we also do it in honor of a survivor. There are many survivors in our borough, and we know that they are still living with trauma. I believe in this work, and I am choosing community over violence, hope over violence, peace over violence. We want peace in the streets. We want this to be the safest summer of 2026 ever.” Gibson also said that 200 additional slots had been added to the summer jobs program, bringing the total number to 1,200.

 

Carrie Cuthbertson, whose son, Devon “Bean” McFarlane, 24, was shot and killed on Morris Avenue in Dec. 27, 2019, was also in attendance. Cuthbertson and her neighbors had been rallying to take over an abandoned lot on public land and turn it into a community garden. When her son died, the garden was later renamed “Bean” Morris Community Garden in his memory.

Speaking to the crowd, Cuthbertson said, “We have taken this tragedy of gun violence as an opportunity to show we are here and love the community.” She added, “My son was the light of my life and we keep his memory alive with the community garden.”

 

Cuthbertson later told Norwood News that the plot of land had been abandoned for about 15 years before they reclaimed it with the help of NYC Parks’ department. She added, “Every day, the garden is open to the community. We host a lot of events for the community, we give out turkeys, we do a lot of collaboration with elected officials and the community board.”

 

Cuthbertson said the gun violence awareness advocacy work she carries out gives her purpose, while also remembering her son and the manner in which he was killed. “I’m not going to lay down or sit down,” she said. “I’m going to come out and be boots on the ground. I’m going to advocate for my son.” Asked if anyone had been arrested in connection with McFarlane’s death, she replied, “The driver was arrested, but not the shooter. The shooter is still on the run.”

Norwood News followed up with the NYPD to ask for further information on McFarlane’s murder and the related investigation. The department responded, saying there were no arrests on file in connection with the case. Separately, the Bronx District Attorney’s office confirmed that a Mathew Torres had been arrested and was later found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison on April 11, 2025.

 

On the same day as the event took place, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that over 2,000 guns were taken off the streets of New York City during the first five months of 2026, including 496 guns in The Bronx. Tisch added during her announcement, “These results reflect a police department that has identified the drivers of violence, built a strategy around them and executed that strategy with discipline.” She continued, “But this work only becomes lasting when our prosecutors stand with us and turn enforcement into consequences.”

 

Read some more previous coverage on this topic here, here, here, here, here, here and here.