A beloved figure in his community, 32-year-old Jaceil Banks of the Bronx was shot and killed on the evening of Saturday, August 23, 2025. The back-to-school basketball event at Haffen Park in the Baychester section was intended as a positive gathering for local children and families; witnesses said gunfire broke out shortly before 7:30 p.m., with shots described as sounding like a machine gun. Police found Banks with a gunshot wound to the chest; he was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and pronounced dead.

Multiple others were also struck. A 17-year-old girl visiting from Hartford was shot in the head and left in critical condition. A 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman were shot in the back and reported stable, and a 42-year-old man suffered a graze wound to his arm. The day after the shooting, authorities announced arrests of four suspects aged 17 to 25 on charges including murder, gang assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. A memorial for Banks grew outside the Gun Hill Houses where he grew up as the community mourned.

Does anyone who attended the event or knew Jaceil have information that could shed light on what happened that night?