Queens community shocked after 8-year-old boy stabbed to death: “What have we missed?”

NEW YORK — The community of Jamaica, Queens is shocked An 8-year-old boy was stabbed to death in his apartment on Thursday.

According to police, a 20-year-old man, presumably the victim’s half-brother, killed the child and attacked his parents during an argument.

Authorities said they received a frantic call shortly after 5 p.m. Thursday that a 20-year-old man had stabbed his 8-year-old half-brother and the boy’s 29-year-old mother in the back. Police said she ran from the apartment bleeding and calling for help while her 43-year-old husband tried to fend off their 20-year-old son inside.

“He had his father in a headlock over the kitchen sink, the knife at his throat. Police officers were behind him. They gave at least four commands, in both English and Spanish, to drop the knife. He did not,” said John Chell, chief of NYPD patrol.

The New York Police Department said an officer fired a single shot, hitting the 20-year-old. He was taken to a local hospital where he died. The 8-year-old was also taken to the hospital but did not survive.

According to police, there was also an eight-month-old baby in the apartment who was unharmed.

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigations has launched an investigation into the 20-year-old’s death, which is standard procedure in all police-involved shootings.

Neighbors say they never noticed any signs of problems with the family

Neighbors brought balloons and placed stuffed animals and candles in the lobby of their 94th Avenue apartment building on Friday to pay their final respects to the child.

“He was so cheerful. He was so happy. Like a normal, active eight-year-old, jumping around and so happy. He loved his mother,” said a neighbor.

“This is a devastating day for the entire building,” said neighbor Syesha Danielle.

Another neighbor says the parents and small children were always friendly.

“Happy, happy. Every time you see them, they smile,” said the neighbor.

However, they said the 20-year-old half-brother was much more distant.

“He never smiled. His face was always serious. He never had contact with others,” the neighbor said.

Neighbors told us they had not seen or heard any signs of trouble or suspicious activity in the apartment, and if they had, they would have tried to help.

“When you don’t hear from your family and then something like this happens, you think, ‘What have we missed?'” one person said.

On Friday afternoon, the police continued to secure the apartment on the fifth floor – today a crime scene. Just a few steps down the hall is a children’s playroom, where the 8-year-old was playing, according to neighbors. Now they say the sight moves them to tears.