The Queens community comes together to mourn Deaza Barkley, a 17-year-old student and gun violence activist, who was fatally shot during an accidental incident at a friend’s home. Barkley, who recently engaged in a school project addressing gun violence, was remembered at a vigil attended by family, friends, and community leaders as a vibrant young woman with dreams of joining the Air Force or pursuing higher education.
The event, held outside the Cypress Hills Library, emphasized the profound loss felt by her parents, particularly her mother, Krystal, who expressed, “This didn’t need to happen.” As investigations proceed into the origins of the firearm, which had a defaced serial number, the community confronts the tragic irony of Barkley becoming a victim of the very issue she sought to resolve through education and activism.
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