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In a case that has shaken the community, it has been revealed that the mother of the 16-year-old boy charged with manslaughter in the tragic shooting of a Brooklyn high school football player is an NYPD officer, according to law enforcement sources.
The incident, which occurred earlier this week, involved the young suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed due to his status as a minor. Authorities report that the teen was allegedly handling a handgun inside the Sheepshead Bay Houses, a NYCHA development, on Monday evening. During this time, the firearm discharged, fatally striking 16-year-old Ka’Mardre Coleman in the chest.
The sequence of events, detailed in a complaint filed with the Brooklyn Criminal Court, paints a distressing picture. The teen is accused of retrieving the handgun from his backpack and allowing it to circulate among three others in the room, including Ka’Mardre.
The situation took a deadly turn when, after reclaiming the gun, the teen reportedly removed a loaded magazine. Despite this action, a round unexpectedly fired, resulting in Ka’Mardre’s fatal injury, as noted in the court documents.
A round then discharged from the weapon — mortally wounding Ka’Mardre, the court doc said.
The shot teen was rushed to a local hospital, but he could not be saved.
Law enforcement sources have since revealed that the boy’s mother is an NYPD cop serving the 5th Precinct, which covers Chinatown, Little Italy and the Bowery.
The boy’s lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, cited his client’s mother’s NYPD job while arguing for lower bail during his arraignment – where prosecutors had pushed for $250,000 bail, The New York Times reported.
Montgomery – who did not immediately return a call from The Post – had also argued that his client did not have a previous criminal record, according to The Times.
The judge, pointing out that “there was no intentional act here,” ultimately set bail at $60,000 cash or $125,000 bond, according to prosecutors and the report.
The teen’s family posted his bail Thursday, the paper reported.
But Ka’Mardre’s older sister, 21-year-old Julani Bannister, previously told The Post she wants to know more about what happened to her brother, who would have turned 17 on Friday.
“If your finger is on the gun, that’s not an accident,” she said.
“That’s my heart. That was my baby,” Bannister added. “He was a bright light. He was my everything. It was us. He was my right hip. I always tried to protect him. I want to tell him ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry’.”
One of Ka’Mardre’s classmates at Sheepshead Bay High School remembered Ka’Mardre as a fun-loving co-captain of his school’s junior varsity football team.
His dad, Codwell Coleman, told The Post by phone that his son was a “great athlete” who worked hard to get stellar grades.
“He was all about life. He was well-mannered, good in school, a great athlete. He used to struggle in school, and I said he couldn’t play sports until he got his academics to number one,” the heartbroken father said. “His academics now match his sports. He put in the hard work. He’s been on a journey. I’m proud of him.”