Jasai Guy

Jasai Guy was a bright and creative 14-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, who was known to friends and family as “Cool guy Sai.” The Black teen was described by his mother as “very close to perfect” and by his father as an “angel.” Jasai was an honor student who loved to draw comics and play basketball, dreaming of one day being recruited by the NBA. Relatives said he was a well-mannered boy who was so afraid of guns that he refused to take the train for a week after a shooting on the subway.

On the morning of Sunday, June 2, 2024, Jasai was in his family’s fifth-floor apartment at the Howard Houses complex in the Brownsville neighborhood. He and his 12-year-old cousin were being watched by their grandfather, who was asleep in another room after taking sleeping medication. Around 10:25 a.m., the two boys found an illegally sawed-off and unregistered shotgun. While the younger cousin was handling the firearm, it discharged, striking Jasai in the chest. He was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, but he could not be saved.

When first responders arrived at the apartment, they found a heartbreaking scene. The 12-year-old cousin was distraught, telling police, “I shot my cousin by accident, I don’t want him to die.” The shotgun was found on a bed in a bedroom. The investigation initially focused on the weapon, which was believed to belong to Jasai’s father, an FDNY firefighter who was out of the country on vacation at the time of the shooting.

The 12-year-old cousin, whose name was not released because of his age, was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and criminal possession of a weapon. Following an initial court appearance, he was released into his mother's custody while his juvenile court case remains pending.

Hundreds of mourners, including dozens of firefighters, attended a vigil for Jasai. His father, Derelle Guy, asked those in attendance to keep his nephew in their prayers, saying, “He’s an innocent child and he had no ill intent in his heart.” In July 2024, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office announced that Jasai's father would not face criminal charges, stating that they had no proof the firearm belonged to him. The case against Jasai’s cousin was still pending in juvenile court as of that month.