On the morning of December 21, 2017, 19-year-old Tahrim Applewhite was riding a bicycle near Gates and Tompkins avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant when he was shot in the stomach and right arm. Emergency responders arrived about 11:45 a.m.; he was taken to Kings County Hospital but died of his wounds. Police listed his official residence as Auburn, New York, though he was known locally in Brooklyn and had participated in a Police Athletic League mentoring program.

NYPD investigators said two males opened fire on Applewhite. Surveillance footage later released showed three young men, described as appearing 17 to 18 years old, leaving the area; one wore a dark hooded shirt, khaki pants, and red sneakers, another a dark hooded shirt with a gray striped jacket and dark pants, and the third a dark hooded shirt and dark pants. By late December 2017 there had been no arrests and the motive remained unclear.

If anyone saw the shooting or recognizes the individuals in the released footage, please come forward with information for investigators.