Brooklyn vigils remember shooting victims

Brooklyn residents held two separate vigils Tuesday night for victims of the citywide surge in shootings last week -- violence that peaked last weekend, when 25 people were shot and six were killed within 48 hours across four boroughs.

In East Flatbush, Donna Rayside, mother of fatal shooting victim Dustin Yeates, spoke hoarsely and wore a T-shirt emblazoned with her son's face. "My hope is that we remember as a community to focus on what's important before our children are of the mindset to commit violence," she said to about 100 people assembled.

"The person or persons responsible for Dustin's death have families, relatives and friends. Somebody in their circle knows what they did, but so far is choosing to remain silent, thus further perpetuating that they are poor role models," said Rayside.

Yeates, 31, was killed in an East Flatbush nightclub May 27.

Councilman Jumaane Williams, who organized the vigil and co-chairs the city's Gun Violence Task Force, said: "They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it also takes a village to allow one to die of gun violence." The crowd later lit candles. Most people held printouts with Yeates' face on them.

Williams said shootings inevitably increase in the summertime, but he also blamed a wider problem of youth lacking opportunity and having easy access to trafficked guns.

A Crown Heights rally had about 50 people, who wore "Save Our Streets" shirts. Standing at Albany Avenue and Bergen Street in Brooklyn, where Damion Riley, 39, was killed, Robin Lyde, who lost her son, Benny, 21, in 2005 to gun violence, said, "My son was productive in the community, worked hard and wanted to take kids with him off the corner. That's why he became a problem . . . [to his killers]. It's up to us to say it's not acceptable. It's up to us to stand up."

Six people were shot and killed last weekend, including Riley in East Flatbush, Terrance Davis, 24, in the Bronx, Antonio Wilson, 23, in Clinton Hill, and Damien Powell, 25, in Crown Heights. On Friday, Tayloni Mazyck, 11, was hit by a bullet that may leave her paralyzed, authorities said.