WABC-TV(NEW YORK) — An alleged fight over a girl involving over 50 teenagers has left a 16-year-old student dead after being stabbed in the chest and an 18-year-old student charged in his death while many of the other teens took videos of the victim dying rather than helping to save his life.
The fight broke out at around 3:45 p.m. on Monday afternoon outside of a bagel shop in Oceanside, New York close to where the victim, Khaseen Morris, went to high school.
An anonymous witness to the fight who spoke to New York City’s ABC station WABC-TV said that Morris was ambushed by the group.
“There was a bunch of people sitting by the Chinese restaurant … about 15 kids, and then all of a sudden while I was on the phone speaking, eight — seven or eight kids came from the north and targeted certain people that I believe they were looking for,” the man said.
Tyler Flach, 18, from Lido Beach was arrested late Wednesday and charged with murder, according to WABC. He will be arraigned later Thursday. Morris was stabbed in the chest in the attack and later died in hospital.
Police believe that Morris was specifically targeted.
“There’s got to be about 50, 60, 70 kids here,” Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the commander of the Nassau County Police Homicide Division, told members of the media at a press conference on Tuesday morning. “We have a handful of kids that have come forward who have identified people involved in this.”
“I don’t think anybody here is naive to who is involved in this incident. I think all the players are known to each other,” said Det. Lt. Fitzpatrick.
Perhaps the most shocking aspect of Morris’ death is the fact that people filmed him dying rather than helping him after being stabbed.
“He was a person that would help anyone, and no one helped him,” said Keyanna Morris, Khaseen’s sister, to WABC. “He told my mom this is the first time in so long that he’s been so happy because he finally found a school where he could be himself with nobody judging him.”
Meanwhile, the superintendent of Oceanside High School, Dr. Phyllis Harrington, issued a video statement condemning the “senseless act of violence”, imploring parents to monitor their children’s social media activity, and saying that the community would get through this tragedy together.
“The kindness and generosity that you model for your children are what makes our community special. It’s those very values that will bind us together and get us through and keep us strong because we are anchored together by purpose, passion and people,” Harrington said.
Students at Oceanside High School have been grieving all week.
“Students are crying in the hallway,” said Victoria Lizama, a student at the high school who added that most of the students were quiet and not talking.
Det. Lt. Fitzpatrick said police were still looking for more witnesses of the crime to come forward.
Said Fitzpatrick: “Kids stood here and didn’t help Khaseen; they’d rather video this event … They video’d his death instead of helping. So anyone who has video, come forward. Do the right thing for Khaseen.”
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