Editor's note: The story in the video player aired on May 7, 2024.
SOHO, Manhattan (PIX11) – A 16-year-old boy was acting as a peacemaker while trying to break up a fight when he was shot and killed in Manhattan on Tuesday, police said.
The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. in Urban Plaza, a courtyard located across from 233 Spring St. between Varick Street and Sixth Avenue in SoHo.
Mahki Brown, a 16-year-old from Brooklyn, was shot and killed during the incident, according to the NYPD.
Brown stepped in to try and deescalate an argument between two groups that stemmed from an ongoing dispute between two teenage girls, according to police. The students attend Broome Street Academy Charter High School, police said.
Police are searching for two suspects who may have fled the scene on Citi Bikes, police said. Investigators believe the suspects are members of a gang. No arrests have been made.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.