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Brooklyn Residents Seek Answers After Man With History of Mental Illness Is Killed Brooklyn Residents Seek Answers After a Mentally Ill Ex-Convict Is Fatally Shot
(about 1 hour later)
On a residential block of Union Street in Brooklyn, everyone seemed to have known Andre Lane, the neighborhood fixture with the body of a fighter and a great singing voice, who appeared a little off but was considered harmless. On a residential block of Union Street in Brooklyn, everyone seemed to have known Andre Lane, the neighborhood fixture with the body of a fighter and a great singing voice who appeared a little off but was considered harmless.
Now, they all want to know who killed him in the public housing complex around the corner.Now, they all want to know who killed him in the public housing complex around the corner.
Mr. Lane, 26, who had a lengthy history of mental health problems, had survived a brutal beating at the hands of correction officers at Rikers Island, New York City’s main jail complex, in 2012. But he was shot and killed on Wednesday night as he struggled to remake a life that had been difficult from the start.Mr. Lane, 26, who had a lengthy history of mental health problems, had survived a brutal beating at the hands of correction officers at Rikers Island, New York City’s main jail complex, in 2012. But he was shot and killed on Wednesday night as he struggled to remake a life that had been difficult from the start.
People in the Brownsville neighborhood where Mr. Lane lived and died could not make sense of his death.People in the Brownsville neighborhood where Mr. Lane lived and died could not make sense of his death.
“He didn’t bother nobody,” Byron Jenkins, 49, said. “Everybody knew Andre had a mental problem. Once he had an argument with somebody, he calmed down.“He didn’t bother nobody,” Byron Jenkins, 49, said. “Everybody knew Andre had a mental problem. Once he had an argument with somebody, he calmed down.
“I don’t know what took place” on Wednesday night, Mr. Jenkins continued, “but he shouldn’t have died like that.” “I don’t know what took place” on Wednesday, Mr. Jenkins continued, “but he shouldn’t have died like that.”
Mr. Lane was shot around 10:30 p.m., the police said, inside 682 Ralph Avenue, one of five red brick apartment buildings that make up the Ralph Avenue Houses. Bullets struck him in his torso and right arm, according to the police, and he was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital Center. Mr. Lane was shot around 10:30 p.m., the police said, inside 682 Ralph Avenue, one of five red brick apartment buildings that make up the Ralph Avenue Houses. Bullets struck him in his torso and right arm, the police said, and he was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital Center.
Residents said they heard a boom, followed by the pop of five gunshots. From her kitchen on the fourth floor of the building, Joan, 51, said she saw the reflection of people’s feet running from the building in a glass door across the street. Her partner said he saw through a bedroom window the flash of a gun firing in the lobby. Like many of her neighbors, Joan declined to give her surname because she feared retaliation.Residents said they heard a boom, followed by the pop of five gunshots. From her kitchen on the fourth floor of the building, Joan, 51, said she saw the reflection of people’s feet running from the building in a glass door across the street. Her partner said he saw through a bedroom window the flash of a gun firing in the lobby. Like many of her neighbors, Joan declined to give her surname because she feared retaliation.
Investigators were still trying to find the gunman as well as witnesses to help them piece together what happened before the shooting. But they faced the formidable task of penetrating the silence of a neighborhood terrorized by gangs, and where mistrust of the police and fear of retaliation for cooperating with them stymie efforts to catch criminals.Investigators were still trying to find the gunman as well as witnesses to help them piece together what happened before the shooting. But they faced the formidable task of penetrating the silence of a neighborhood terrorized by gangs, and where mistrust of the police and fear of retaliation for cooperating with them stymie efforts to catch criminals.
Mr. Lane’s family has searched the neighborhood for answers. Tyesha Lane, 30, one of his sisters, hovered behind the police tape at the entrance to the Ralph Avenue building on Thursday, while investigators took photographs of an apartment on the first floor. The door had been broken down and the occupants had not returned.Mr. Lane’s family has searched the neighborhood for answers. Tyesha Lane, 30, one of his sisters, hovered behind the police tape at the entrance to the Ralph Avenue building on Thursday, while investigators took photographs of an apartment on the first floor. The door had been broken down and the occupants had not returned.
“My brother’s been through so much throughout his life,” Ms. Lane said. “And to learn that his life was taken from him that way, I’m heartbroken. He was never given a fair shot at life.”“My brother’s been through so much throughout his life,” Ms. Lane said. “And to learn that his life was taken from him that way, I’m heartbroken. He was never given a fair shot at life.”
Their mother, Isis Lane, laid a Bible on the sidewalk opened to Psalm 23, which portrays God as a shepherd guiding his flock. At night, the candles that surrounded the book flickered as the wind lifted its pages.Their mother, Isis Lane, laid a Bible on the sidewalk opened to Psalm 23, which portrays God as a shepherd guiding his flock. At night, the candles that surrounded the book flickered as the wind lifted its pages.
Ms. Lane had been addicted to crack cocaine when her son was born on Oct. 12, 1989. He had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and attention deficit disorder. Mr. Lane and two of his sisters were raised by their aunt Marvenus Lane Nicholson who took him to church, where he sang in the choir, her daughter, Tanya Ragoonanan, 39, said. Ms. Nicholson died in June 2012 after a heart attack. By then, Mr. Lane had dropped out of high school and had been arrested several times for jumping subway turnstiles, mouthing off to police officers and fighting, Ms. Ragoonanan said. He was an adult, and it had become much harder for his family to get him help, she added. Ms. Lane had been addicted to crack cocaine when her son was born on Oct. 12, 1989. He had schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and attention deficit disorder. Mr. Lane and two of his sisters were raised by their aunt Marvenus Lane Nicholson, who took him to church, where he sang in the choir, her daughter Tanya Ragoonanan, 39, said. Ms. Nicholson died in June 2012 after a heart attack. By then, Mr. Lane had dropped out of high school and had been arrested several times for jumping subway turnstiles, arguing with police officers and fighting, Ms. Ragoonanan said. He was an adult, and it had become much harder for his family to get him help, she added.
“He was hyper, but they didn’t care because he was grown,” Ms. Ragoonanan said. “The system really railroaded him.”“He was hyper, but they didn’t care because he was grown,” Ms. Ragoonanan said. “The system really railroaded him.”
Six months after Ms. Nicholson’s death, Mr. Lane was in solitary confinement at Rikers on a cellblock reserved for mentally ill inmates. He was beaten by guards on Dec. 17 after splashing a liquid on them after the inmates were told they might not be fed dinner that night.Six months after Ms. Nicholson’s death, Mr. Lane was in solitary confinement at Rikers on a cellblock reserved for mentally ill inmates. He was beaten by guards on Dec. 17 after splashing a liquid on them after the inmates were told they might not be fed dinner that night.
Mr. Lane was one of 129 inmates who sustained serious injuries in altercations with guards at Rikers Island in cases that were documented in a secret study by the city’s health department, which handles medical care there. The study, which revealed a culture of brutality perpetrated by correction officers at the jail complex, was uncovered in 2014 during a four-month investigation by The New York Times.Mr. Lane was one of 129 inmates who sustained serious injuries in altercations with guards at Rikers Island in cases that were documented in a secret study by the city’s health department, which handles medical care there. The study, which revealed a culture of brutality perpetrated by correction officers at the jail complex, was uncovered in 2014 during a four-month investigation by The New York Times.
Prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against the officers who beat Mr. Lane. The city has hired a consulting firm to plan reforms at its troubled jails.Prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against the officers who beat Mr. Lane. The city has hired a consulting firm to plan reforms at its troubled jails.
After his release, Mr. Lane told his family he never wanted to go back to jail. But he struggled to find stability and to stay out of trouble. He was due back in court as soon as Tuesday to face misdemeanor charges stemming from six different arrests, one from February 2013 and five between October 2015 and May 2016, according to court records. On May 18, he was arrested after the superintendent of an apartment building on Ralph Avenue said he broke the glass entry door, according to court records.After his release, Mr. Lane told his family he never wanted to go back to jail. But he struggled to find stability and to stay out of trouble. He was due back in court as soon as Tuesday to face misdemeanor charges stemming from six different arrests, one from February 2013 and five between October 2015 and May 2016, according to court records. On May 18, he was arrested after the superintendent of an apartment building on Ralph Avenue said he broke the glass entry door, according to court records.
Samira Hickman, 49, said it took about a dozen police officers to subdue him. His strength, she said, was “unbelievable.”Samira Hickman, 49, said it took about a dozen police officers to subdue him. His strength, she said, was “unbelievable.”
After he was released on May 24, he got a job at the J. Q. Grocery Store, a deli where a picture of a smiling President Obama hangs near a painting of the Last Supper in which Jesus and his disciples all have brown skin. Earl Morgan, the cashier, said Mr. Lane stocked the freezers and did odd jobs.After he was released on May 24, he got a job at the J. Q. Grocery Store, a deli where a picture of a smiling President Obama hangs near a painting of the Last Supper in which Jesus and his disciples all have brown skin. Earl Morgan, the cashier, said Mr. Lane stocked the freezers and did odd jobs.
Veronica, who lives in the neighborhood but who declined to give her surname, said Mr. Lane had recently asked her to tutor him in math and reading. Veronica, who lives in the neighborhood and declined to give her surname, said Mr. Lane had recently asked her to tutor him in math and reading.
At a vigil on Friday on St. Mark’s Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where Mr. Lane lived as a child, his family and friends erected a memorial for Dre Blacc as he was known. They sang parts of songs he had made up, and laughed about his antics. Peter Hepburn Jr., 34, said the rain that fell the morning after Mr. Lane died gave him hope that his friend had made it to heaven. Mr. Lane had struggled his whole life “trying to feel complete,” he said. At a vigil on Friday on St. Mark’s Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where Mr. Lane lived as a child, his family and friends erected a memorial for Dre Blacc, as he was known. They sang parts of songs he had made up, and laughed about his antics.
Peter Hepburn Jr., 34, said the rain that fell the morning after Mr. Lane died gave him hope that his friend had made it to heaven. Mr. Lane had struggled his whole life “trying to feel complete,” he said.
“And the only way that he could really actually achieve that out here is through actually meeting with God himself,” Mr. Hepburn said.“And the only way that he could really actually achieve that out here is through actually meeting with God himself,” Mr. Hepburn said.