On Palm Sunday, April 15, 1984, a mass shooting at a Liberty Avenue home in East New York left ten people dead; among the victims was 7-year-old Eddie Lopez, described as Hispanic/Latino. The household included relatives and neighborhood children when a gunman entered and fired at point-blank range. Police found victims positioned as if life had been interrupted mid-breath, and a crying infant moved among the bodies, the only survivor in the room.

Investigators tied the house to Enrique Bermudez, described as a convicted cocaine dealer, and focused on Christopher Thomas, who had been in that circle, reportedly bought drugs there, and allegedly owed Bermudez money. Witnesses placed Thomas near the home earlier that day; physical evidence and a lineup identification led police to arrest him about six weeks later and charge him in the killings. A jury convicted Thomas on counts tied to intentional killing but the verdict was reduced to first-degree manslaughter on a finding of extreme emotional disturbance. Many who remember the victims were angered by that outcome.

Does anyone have memories of the house on Liberty Avenue or knew Eddie Lopez or the other victims and can share details that might help keep their stories alive?