He said investigators must conduct a thorough inquiry into the killing, including establishing whether the assailants were connected to individuals who had allegedly bullied the teenager at school.
Speaking on Monday, November 2, Mr Smith said surveillance footage from streets around the scene could help investigators identify the assailants, despite reports that they were masked during the attack.
“I’m sure the police are looking into records, and very soon, I’m sure that they will fill me in on the person who committed this dastardly crime,” he added.
Mr Smith said investigators must also determine whether the shooting was linked to the bullying incident and the punishment subsequently meted out to the alleged bully.
“I expect that they will conduct a thorough investigation to establish that the people who perpetrated that crime were the very people or connected with the people who did the bullying. There’s a need to establish that it wasn’t something else,” he said.
He, however, cautioned against directly implicating the student who allegedly bullied Javits, saying he was not in a position to determine whether that individual was involved in the shooting.
“As to whether the bully himself committed the crime, I am not in a position to establish because the police are picking people up. They know the young man who bullied Javits. They know, obviously, from the school records,” he explained.
Mr Smith said school records could help investigators identify the student involved in the bullying and establish whether he had any connection to the killing.
Meanwhile, residents of the Bronx neighbourhood where Javits was killed are expected to hold a vigil on Thursday, November 5, to honour the teenager and demand action from authorities over youth violence.
The gathering is also expected to highlight concerns about gun violence, knife-related crimes and other criminal activities involving young people in the community.
Javits was fatally shot by unidentified assailants at about 9:20 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in the Bronx while on his way to school. Reports indicate that he had experienced bullying at school.
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