‘Good son, good boy’: 12-year-old fatally shot in Brooklyn ID’d as Kade Lewin
A Brooklyn neighborhood mourned an act of senseless violence Friday after a 12-year-old boy innocently eating dinner with his family in a parked car was shot dead by thugs who opened fire in what may have been a case of mistaken identity.
Kade Lewin, who lived in Flatlands with his mother, was remembered by friends and family as a quiet “good son,” as the city endured another horrific shooting, a spate of violence that has only ramped up the past few months.
The boy’s barber and a coworker of his mother at the Faith Beauty Salon in the neighborhood told The Post they were heartbroken over the loss of young Kade.
“I’ve been cutting his hair for the last three years. He was here three weeks ago,” said the 52-year-old barber, who did not give his name.
“He is a nice little boy — intelligent, always well-groomed,” he said, adding that the boy used to wear his hair in a mohawk style.
His killing amplifies a spate of gun violence that has rocked the city — and is just the latest to involve a child.
Just last week, a 3-year-old was hit by gunfire outside of a Brownsville, Brooklyn day care center and a 7-year-old was grazed by a stray bullet in Coney Island.
An 11-month-old girl was hit by a stray bullet in The Bronx in January.
‘Only God can stop it’
Kade was shot in the head while sitting in a car at East 56th Street and Linden Boulevard in East Flatbush just after 7:45 p.m. Thursday, police said.
A 20-year-old female relative who was also in the vehicle was wounded. An 8-year-old girl was also in the car when the gunshots rang out.
The 20-year-old woman was shot multiple times, but is expected to survive, authorities said. The girl was not hit by the gunfire.
Neither Kade nor the older relative are believed by police to have been the intended target of the gunman, sources said. One law-enforcement source described them as a “churchgoing” family.
Police believe the gunman opened fire from a stolen car with out-of-state plates after circling the block at least once, police sources said.
Detectives were investigating the possibility that the shooter thought someone else was inside the vehicle, the sources added.
Kade was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Shooting incidents were up across the city 17 percent so far this year, over the same time last year, with 312 people shot, according to NYPD data.
The mother’s coworker remembered Kade as a polite and kind child.
“He is always right there with her — good son, good boy,” said the salon worker, who did not give her name.
“It’s still bothering me. It’s a kid. I have a 10-year-old boy … They played Fortnite together online,” she added.
Both she and the boy’s barber said they were fed up with the gun violence that has gripped the city in recent months.
“The gun violence is too much. It’s sad, you know, it’s sad. It’s unreal. Only God can stop it. Who else?” the salon worker said.
“That has to stop. Nobody is benefiting from it except Mr. Smith & Wesson — the ones who make the guns,” the barber added. “I saw a lot of police last night. I said it’s better to see a million police than one gunman.”
Residents in East Flatbush were outraged and saddened by the horrific slaying.
“They need to put a stop to it. [Guns] are in the hands of kids. If they don’t put a cap on it, it’s going to get worse. They always hit the wrong targets. These people are not marksmen,” said 60-year-old Danny Sang.
“We need the citizens’ help. Ain’t nothing more the police can do. Mayor Adams can’t do it alone. There is someone out there sitting on information right now,” he added.
‘Revolving-door’ justice system
Mayor Adams was elected on a plank of fighting crime and especially gun violence. He recently deployed new strategic teams aimed at getting illegal guns out of people’s hands.
But he’s yet to make a dent.
On Thursday night, Adams vowed to catch the killer – but blamed the outbursts of violence on a “revolving-door” justice system.
“We’re going to catch this shooter. But as long as we have guns and a revolving-door system, we’re going to continue to come to crime scenes like this. It’s time for it to stop,” Adams said.
Asked about the tragedy Friday, Adams told reporters: “It’s horrific to have a young lady shot several times, you know, our hearts go out to the family — to have a young boy shot — and when you look at the video is horrific how it happened … and we’re going to find the individuals that are involved.”
But a clearly frustrated Adams added, “I’m a bit dismayed that all we talk about is protecting people who commit crimes. I say this over and over again, when are we going to start talking about the people who are doing the right thing?”
“Sitting down, eating in a car should not be a death sentence.”
No arrests have been made, and police have not released names of suspects or a motive in the shooting.
Additional reporting by Khristina Narizhnaya
