Teen fatally shot at Brooklyn apartment complex had gone to visit friend, family says

Police said Tuesday that the 17-year-old who was shot and critically injured at a Brooklyn apartment complex with a history of resident complaints died at a local hospital, and they were still searching for his killer.

NYPD officials said Tamari Carmona was gunned down around 12:30 a.m. on April 29 outside a building at the massive Flatbush Gardens development, which made headlines in 2023 when a man killed two of his upstairs neighbors over a noise dispute. Carmona died at Kings County Hospital on May 1, according to officials.

His grandmother Wanda Carter said the teen lived with her in Coney Island and had gone to visit a friend at Flatbush Gardens before he was shot.

“He didn’t go there often,” Carter said. “Something needs to be done about the guns that is cutting more lives short and destroying families. This family's now destroyed.”

Carmona was in the hospital for two days with a gunshot wound in the back of his head before he died, according to his grandmother. She said the family stayed at his bedside, and some relatives came from out of state to visit him.

Officials on Tuesday said they were still waiting to hear from detectives about a possible motive in the shooting and were looking for a suspect in black clothing.

Some Flatbush Gardens residents previously told Gothamist they were rebuffed by the management when they raised concerns about their safety at the complex. A spokesperson for the management company said at the time that it was committed to making the community safe.

Carter said her grandson was a “very respectful” kid who helped her with errands, supermarket trips and other needs. He loved to play video games and wanted to be a police officer when he grew up, she said.

Carmona’s mother, four brothers and other relatives are now planning his funeral, which will be held on Friday in Coney Island, Carter said. He is the ninth teen to die of gun violence so far this year, according to police data compiled by Gothamist.

Twice as many fatal shootings were reported in New York City in April as in March, NYPD data shows. Overall shootings are down 13% so far this year, compared to the same period last year.

This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.