A street in the Bronx now bears the name of a teenage honor student gunned down last year as she walked home from school.
The family of 16-year-old Angellyh Yambo was joined Saturday by community members to co-name the street in Kingsbridge Heights where the teen grew up, and where her life was cut short.
"Angellyh's name will always shine and be present, as today her name will be in the street where she was raised and loved by so many people," her mother, Yanely Henriquez, said at the unveiling.
Together, family held up the street sign marking “Angellyh Marieh Yambo Way," now in place at the intersection of Bailey Place and Bailey Avenue.
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"I have no words to express the gratitude I feel to everyone who has been with me since that tragic day one year ago," Henriquez added.
Yambo's family said the street naming will ensure she doesn't become another gun violence number. They've also started a foundation in her name to assist victims of gun violence and raise awareness about the issue.
On April 8, 2022, Yambo was hit in the chest by a stray bullet, fired from a 17-year-old since indicted on murder and attempted murder charges. She was struck down within blocks of her high school.
Two other students, both 17 at the time, were shot.
The shooting happened outside of the South Bronx Educational Campus, which is home to two schools, Mott Haven Village Prep (where two of the teens attended) and University Heights Secondary School. The third teen went to University Prep Charter High School, a short distance away.
The three students, who police said were not known to each other, had recently been let out of school when the shooter opened fire around 1:45 p.m. that Friday afternoon. Video recovered from the area that captured the deadly barrage of gunfire allegedly shows the gunman in a heated exchange with a group of men across the street at the intersection. The senior officials said hand gestures made between the men are "consistent with gang affiliation."
Additional videos tracked the suspect eastbound on East 156th Street where police located him at his residence on East 161th Street. While patrolling outside the home, police witnessed a black bag thrown out of his window. The two senior officials said officers searched the bag and found an unloaded black ghost gun.
In the days after the shooting,Yambo's mother struggled to find the words to describe the pain of losing her daughter, who police said was an "unintended target," along with the other two teens.
"I lost my life, I lost my daughter. I have no words to say or even express to you what I'm feeling right now. I just can't," Yanelli Henrriquez, the teen's mother, told Telemundo 47.
