Family and friends of Tyson Harps, 16, gathered at the Owens Funeral Home on Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem on Saturday, Nov. 15, to say goodbye to the Bronx teen who was gunned down as he visited friends on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn on Saturday, Nov. 1. One attendee said that after the service, mourners released 16 white doves and balloons into the cloudless, blue sky.

According to police, officers from the 71^st Precinct were called at 8.47 p.m. on Nov. 15 to 1196 Eastern Parkway, on the border of East New York and Crown Heights, for a report of an assault in progress.

At the time, a police official told the Norwood News, “Upon arrival, a 16-year-old male was discovered unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head.” Tyson, a resident of Park Avenue in the Melrose section of The Bronx, was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the NYPD released a surveillance video that captured the suspect casually walking down the street looking at a cell phone. The person was wearing blue jeans, sneakers and a dark bomber jacket over a grey, hooded jacket.

According to the memorial program handed out at Tyson’s wake and later obtained by Norwood News, Tyson enjoyed his time with his large family and friends. His hobbies included football, music, and video games. He had recently been accepted into Independence High School.

“Local Pulse Media” posted an announcement of the teenager’s death on Facebook that said Tyson was “known for his kindness and big dreams.” It continued, “Tyson was cherished by those in his community, who are now grappling with the loss of such a promising young life.”

The post concluded, “His sudden passing has sent shockwaves throughout both his Bronx neighborhood and the place he was found. As communities come together in grief and demand answers, the family and friends of Tyson hold onto hope that justice will be served.”

Tyson’s murder continues to be an “active and ongoing” investigation by NYPD detectives.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.