Jacob Freytes was riding his bicycle to buy a ball when gunfire erupted outside a Mount Eden bodega.
NEW YORK — Twelve-year-old Jacob Freytes was on a routine bicycle trip to a neighborhood bodega Saturday when a confrontation outside the store turned violent, leaving the child dead from a stray bullet and a Bronx community confronting another loss to gunfire.
Police said Jacob was not involved in the dispute that preceded the shooting in the Mount Eden section of the borough. He had gone to the store to buy a ball shortly before 5 p.m. when several people began fighting nearby. Gunfire followed, striking Jacob and two adult men. The child sought shelter inside the store before collapsing, according to reports citing investigators.
Jacob was taken to Lincoln Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The two adult victims, ages 25 and 34, suffered injuries that police described as not life-threatening. Authorities had not publicly clarified whether the wounded men were involved in the initial confrontation.
The killing turned an ordinary summer scene — a child riding a bicycle, a visit to a corner store and plans to play with a new ball — into the center of a homicide investigation. Police officials repeatedly described Jacob as an innocent bystander. His death drew expressions of grief from relatives, neighborhood residents, city leaders and members of the New York Police Department.
The NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association identified Jacob as the son of retired Detective Sgt. Jesus Freytes. The police union said the loss of a child was a parent’s worst nightmare and offered support to the family. Authorities did not release further information about funeral plans or other private family arrangements.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators arrested 45-year-old William Ferrer outside his Bronx home Sunday. He was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Ferrer was ordered held without bail after an arraignment Monday in Bronx Criminal Court.
The charges are accusations, and Ferrer is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Investigators allege he opened fire during the confrontation outside the bodega. A motive remained under investigation Tuesday. Police had not issued a final determination about reports that the dispute may have involved gang activity.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Jacob’s death showed why violence could not be accepted as a normal part of neighborhood life. He said children should be able to ride their bicycles on a summer day without fearing that they will be shot. The mayor’s statement did not announce a specific policy change tied to the case.
For residents near the store, the central fact was simpler and more painful: A child who had no known role in the dispute was killed while carrying out an everyday errand. The shooting also renewed attention on the danger gunfire poses beyond its intended targets, particularly in crowded residential areas where stores, homes and sidewalks are close together.
The case remained under investigation Tuesday as detectives worked to determine the full sequence of events and identify the roles of everyone involved. Police had not announced further arrests. Ferrer remained in custody while Jacob’s family and neighborhood mourned the boy’s death.
Author note: Last updated July 28, 2026.