Lefferts Gardens Teenager Charged With Murder of Ditmas Park Father

DITMAS PARK, BROOKLYN — The NYPD has charged a 16-year-old with the murder of Ditmas Park father Gerald Cummings, killed on Aug. 3 after allegedly recovering a baseball hat stolen from his son.

Lefferts Gardens resident Adonis Barnett was arrested on Aug. 18, the NYPD said, and charged with murder, criminal use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon. No arraignment information was immediately available Wednesday morning.

Cummings, 38, was shot in the head outside of P.S. 6, located at 43 Snyder Ave., according to the NYPD.

According to police, a teenager had stolen a baseball hat from Cummings' son in July. On Aug. 3, the son was playing basketball behind 2255 Bedford Ave. when he saw the alleged thief. He called his father, and Cummings arrived, taking back the hat.

The victim and his son were then followed by Barnett and several other individuals, police said. Barnett then pulled out a gun and started shooting.

“He did what any father would do and that's stand up for his children,” Earl Saunders, one of Cummings' friends, told the New York Daily News. “All he did was confront the kids that beat up his son — and lost his life in the process of defending his child.”

Cummings was killed in the NYPD's 70th Precinct, which patrols Ditmas Park and western Flatbush. Through Aug. 14, major crimes in the precinct were collectively down about five percent compared to the same time period last year, according to official NYPD statistics.

Shootings were down significantly as well. Seven had been recorded, with seven victims, through Aug. 14, compared to 15 shootings with 23 victims during the same period in 2015.

Pictured: 43 Snyder Ave. Image via Google Maps