A 17-year-old New Jersey high school cheerleader died after being shot execution-style while walking home with her ex-boyfriend in Newark on Sunday.
Cheyenne Bond graduated less than two weeks ago and had enrolled in college with
plans to become a nurse, her family told CBS New York. But she and her ex-boyfriend, who was also shot but wasn't killed, were walking near West Side Park when they were attacked. The boy, 17, has not been identified.
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“They told her to get on her knees and they shot her in the head execution style,” Bond’s uncle, Michael Bond, told CBS. “Just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Bond’s death was the third homicide in Newark over 24 hours over the weekend, which new mayor Ras Baraka talked about during his Tuesday inauguration.
“Some are even afraid to patronize their corner stores or worse, still mourning the deaths of their loved ones from senseless violence,” Baraka said.
Residents are speaking out about their fears.
“You can’t even go to your own park in your own neighborhood without somebody getting shot down,” Stephanie Lowe told CBS.
Police are searching for clues about the girl’s killer. Two hooded men near the area showed up on a surveillance video and police hope they may have witnessed the shooting and could help.
On Tuesday, many of Bond’s friends held a vigil for the slain teenager.
"You see these young people here, standing so boldly to say they're hurt," minister
Thomas Ellis told NBC. "Shocked, traumatized. They lost a friend to senseless violence."
Police don’t believe the shooting was targeted.
College tuition money saved by Bond’s family will now be spent on her funeral, CBS said.
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