Police identified the victim as 23-year-old Reyna Caceres of University Heights.
BRONX, N.Y. — A 23-year-old woman was fatally shot early Thursday near Aqueduct Lands Playground in University Heights, where police later searched the street, a playground area and a gray Hyundai for evidence.
Police identified the woman as Reyna Caceres, who lived in the University Heights section of the Bronx. Officers said she was shot once in the left eye near Aqueduct Avenue shortly after midnight. Emergency medical workers took her to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The shooting was reported about 12:10 a.m. Thursday near 2158 Aqueduct Ave., outside Aqueduct Lands Playground. Police taped off part of the sidewalk and a corner of the playground as investigators worked through the early morning. An NYPD spokesperson said, “We have a female, 23, shot in the left eye, taken to St. Barnabas Hospital by EMS, where she was pronounced deceased.”
Investigators found signs that people had gathered near the playground before the shooting, including scattered cups and alcohol, according to reports from the scene. Police also examined a gray Hyundai because investigators were looking into whether Caceres may have been shot in or near the vehicle. Red cone markers were seen inside and outside the playground area, where police appeared to be marking possible evidence.
No arrests had been made by Thursday afternoon, and police had not released a suspect description. The motive remained unknown. The case is being handled as an active homicide investigation, with detectives expected to review physical evidence, possible surveillance video and witness accounts from the area around Aqueduct Avenue.
Aqueduct Lands Playground sits in a residential part of University Heights, near schools, apartment buildings and Bronx Community College. The shooting added to concerns in a neighborhood covered by the 46th Precinct, which includes parts of Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mount Hope.
People near the scene described hearing multiple shots, but some declined to speak further. Police remained focused on the taped-off areas near the playground gate and the sidewalk outside it. A crime scene unit also responded to the block as officers looked for shell casings and other evidence.
The investigation remained open Thursday, with no suspect in custody and no public timeline for an arrest. Police said the case was still under investigation.
Author note: Last updated May 28, 2026.