The search is on for three suspects in the fatal shooting of a teenage girl who was shot in the head on May 10 as she sat in a car in St. Albans has died, and the investigation into her death has been reclassified as a homicide.
Claudia Quaatey, 16, of 126th Avenue in Jamaica, succumbed to her injuries the following day at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, the NYPD announced Tuesday. The NYPD released a brief surveillance video that shows the three young men as they walked along a St. Albans street following the shooting but it is not clear which one is the suspected gunman.
On the night of May 10, police received a 911 call at approximately 8:30 p.m. regarding a shooting at 121-14 Lucas St. Upon their arrival, officers from the 113th Precinct found Quaatey suffering from a gunshot wound to her head, according to authorities.
EMS responded to the crime scene and rushed Quaatey to Cohen Children’s Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition, with a critical brain injury. She succumbed the following day with her loved ones by her side, her family announced on a GoFundMe page they set up.
Authorities believe that Quaatey, who was sitting inside a vehicle parked in front of the Jackie Robinson School at the time of the shooting, was not the intended target. No arrests have been made and the homicide investigation remains ongoing, according to police.
Quaatey was known as a “beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece and friend,” her family said. She was a sophomore at Queens High School of Teaching and a loved member of the Jamaica community, according to Benita Bortay, the organizer of the GoFundMe account.
In her free time, Quaatey enjoyed running track, dancing, styling hair, and spending time with family and friends. She aspired to become a nurse and has always been compassionate towards others, according to her family, who set up the GoFundMe page and requested donations that will go toward her funeral, medical and other expenses incurred related to her tragic death.
The family’s initial fundraising goal is $75,000. To date, they have received 475 donations totaling $19,351.
“We please ask that you support Claudia and help this GoFundMe reach as many people as possible,” Bortay said.
Meanwhile, the NYPD described the first suspect as having a dark complexion and slim build. He is approximately 6 feet tall and was last seen wearing a white mask, a black and gray hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and white sneakers. The second suspect has a light complexion and a slim build and is approximately 5’11” tall. He was wearing a black mask, a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark-colored sweatpants and red sneakers. The third suspect is described as having a medium complexion and a medium build, approximately 5’6″ tall. He was last seen wearing a black mask, a navy hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black and white sneakers.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Wednesday, May 24.
