Sunset Park shooting leaves NYPD searching for masked suspects after teen death

Police in Brooklyn are now looking for three masked suspects, a search that intensified after a fatal sunset-area shooting left a 14-year-old boy dead and investigators still unsure whether he was the intended target. By 12: 10 a. m. ET Saturday, the NYPD said it was continuing to investigate the motive and circumstances surrounding the killing of Johary Cantave.

The shooting happened late Friday night near 46th Street and Ninth Avenue in Sunset Park, police said. Cantave was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Sunset Park detectives focus on three suspects who fled after the shooting

Detectives are searching for three individuals described as wearing ski masks and dressed in black who fled the scene after gunfire struck the teenager in the head. Police said the suspects approached a vehicle as Cantave was inside, and an argument ensued before the shooting.

Officers later recovered a shell casing from the crime scene, and the car used to transport Cantave to the hospital showed damage, including a back window that was shot out. Police also cordoned off the vehicle outside Maimonides Medical Center as part of the investigation.

No arrests have been announced. The suspects were last seen fleeing in an unknown direction, police said.

Johary Cantave was inside a vehicle when an argument turned violent

Police said the 14-year-old was in a car at the corner of 46th Street and Ninth Avenue just before midnight Friday evening when the confrontation escalated. One account described Cantave as inside the vehicle while another person was outside, when the three suspects approached and a verbal dispute began.

During the dispute, the teenager was shot in the head, police said. Another individual drove him to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities identified the victim as Johary Cantave of Brooklyn. Police have not publicly detailed what sparked the argument.

NYPD investigates motive as questions remain about the intended target

Investigators said it remains unclear what caused the dispute or whether Cantave was the intended target of the shooting. Police said they are continuing to investigate a possible motive.

A driver who spoke about the incident said he was following his son on a moped and was driving Cantave, a friend of his son, back home. The driver said his son was being harassed by a group of suspects while on the moped, and that after the father told his son to keep riding, shots were fired at the car, striking the 14-year-old passenger in the head.

For now, police have not released further details on a motive, and the search for the suspects continues after the sunset-area killing in Sunset Park. The next update is expected from the NYPD as investigators review evidence and attempt to identify and locate the suspects; if leads develop, arrests could follow.