Bedford Park: Vigil for Baby Catherine on First Birthday Marks End of Another Week of Tragedy

By DAVID GREENE

Mayor Eric Adams joins various Bronx elected officials during a prayer vigil on Friday, January 21, 2022, for Baby Catherine, an 11-month-old infant, shot on Wednesday, January 19, at Valentine Avenue and East 198th Street in Bedford Park.
Photo by David Greene

Bronxites are angry, and beyond exhausted. Yet, they continue to persevere and show up for one another.

Attached are some of the scenes from Friday evening’s prayer vigil, held at the corner of Valentine Avenue and East 198th Street in Bedford Park, the exact location where, as reported, an 11-month-old infant named Catherine was the unintended victim of a shooting to her cheek, while she was with her mother inside a parked vehicle on Wednesday evening, Jan. 19.

Mayor Eric Adams joins local officials during a prayer vigil on Friday, January 21, 2022, for Baby Catherine, an 11-month-old infant, shot on Wednesday, January 19, at Valentine Avenue and East 198th Street in Bedford Park.
Photo by David Greene

The vigil, organized by Pastor Jay Gooding and Brenda Caldwell-Paris, president of the 52nd Precinct Community Council, was attended by, among other elected officials, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), State Sen. Jamaal Bailey (S.D. 36), District 15 City Councilman Oswald Feliz, State. Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), along with commanding officer of the 52nd precinct, Deputy Inspector Jeremy Scheublin, members of the clergy, police, the 52nd precinct community council, front line workers, anti-gun violence groups, and the local community.

“BABY CATHERINE” AS she was, prior to being shot in the face on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at East 198th Street and Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park and who, on the occasion of her first birthday, was undergoing surgery for her injuries.
Photo courtesy of Fellowship Tabernacle COGIC

“I want to be loud and clear…I want to be on the front lines,” said Adams in the context of addressing gun violence, before calling on the federal government for help to curb the flow of illegal guns to the City.

The gathering was held just 10 days after a separate vigil had been held for the 17 victims, including 8 children, killed in the Twin Parks fire tragedy in Fordham Heights on Sunday, Jan. 9, and just five days after their funeral and prayer service was held on Sunday, Jan. 16.

Several residents use their cellphones to record Sen. Gustavo Rivera speak during a prayer vigil on Friday, January 21, 2022, for 11-month-old Baby Catherine who was shot at 198th Street and Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park on Wednesday, January 19, 2022,
Photo by David Greene

In fact, the vigil culminated a week for a borough and a community that is still reeling, yet responding with continued relief efforts, from that fire tragedy, while simultaneously coping with a residential explosion and fire that killed one 77-year-old woman and injured seven more in Longwood, the shooting of a police officer in Belmont amid a gang-related shoot-out, and the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old man by police in Wakefield, following a dramatic police pursuit, among other highly charged events, all of which took place amid ever freezing temperatures.

State Sen. Jamaal Bailey (S.D. 36) speaks to the crowd during a prayer vigil on Friday, January 21, 2022, for 11-month-old Baby Catherine who was shot on Wednesday, January 19, at East 198th Street and Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park and who, on the occasion of her first birthday, was undergoing surgery for her injuries.
Photo by David Greene

According to Pastor Jay Gooding, who addressed the crowd at the vigil, Baby Catherine’s family were unable to attend as the infant was scheduled to undergo emergency surgery on Friday, which also marked her first birthday.

Other speakers included most of the elected officials, Caldwell-Paris and Scheublin.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks during a vigil held on Tuesday, Jan. 11, in honor of the victims of the fire that broke out at 333 East 181st Street in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022.
Photo courtesy of Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson via social media

Meanwhile, as reported, Bedford Park was also the location of a savage stabbing, caught on video, of a 28-year-old woman by two unknown men in the early hours of Jan. 9, the same day as the Twin Parks fire and during stalking awareness month.

Domestic Violence stalking awareness flyer
Flyer courtesy of the NYPD

The NYPD has circulated fliers regarding a reward of up to $3,500 for anyone with information regarding the shooting of Baby Catherine. Call 800-577-TIPS.

52ND PRECINCT COMMUNITY Council president, Brenda Caldwell-Paris, (with microphone) speaks at a vigil on Friday, January 21, 2022, which was organized by Caldwell-Paris and Rev. Jay Gooding of Jacobi Hospital’s cure violence program, to pray with clergy, police, elected officials and community members for one-year-old Baby Catherine, who was shot in Bedford Park the previous Wednesday, January 19, 2022, while in a car with her mother, and who celebrated her first birthday on the night of the vigil.
Photo by David Greene

A longer story on the Bedford Park vigil will follow.

NOW IN THE BRONX: @NYCMayor joins community leaders for a roundtable on gun violence. https://t.co/JlCBkQr0GU

— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 22, 2022

On Saturday, the mayor was back in Bedford Park once again, holding a round table at P.S. 46 about gun violence prevention, together with other elected officials, including Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, City Councilman Oswald Feliz, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) and a number of cure violence groups like B.R.A.G. (Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence) and RTG (Release the Grip), as well as hospital emergency responders.

🙏 TOMORROW 🙏

Come join us tomorrow for a Community Prayer Vigil for Catherine, the 11 month old victim of Wednesday night’s shooting. The location will be on East 198 St & Valentine Ave at 5:00pm. 🙏 🙏 #ForCatherine #StopTheViolence pic.twitter.com/y7rtsvZI43

— NYPD 52nd Precinct (@NYPD52Pct) January 21, 2022

On Sunday, Jan. 23, Gibson issued a statement on the recent incidents of violence which have taken place across the City. It can be read in full below.

A statement from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson issued on Sunday, Jan. 23, on the recent incidents of violence in New York City.
Image courtesy of the Office of the Bronx Borough President

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.

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