Two Teens Charged with Attempted Murder after East Harlem Gunfight

The dramatic surge in teen-involved violence continues, this time, again, with a gunfight in East Harlem, in the 25th Precinct.

Crime Watch has reported similar stories before and, if our coverage extended to the Bronx, scarcely a week would go by when there wasn’t a teen-involved shooting or stabbing to report.

In the present case, cops were responding to an unrelated 911 call on Monday, Sept. 15, in the vicinity of Second Avenue and East 123rd Street, adjacent to the NYCHA Wagner Houses.

Upon arrival, cops heard gunfire and saw one teenager shooting a gun at other teenager. One cop fired his weapon at the gun-toting teen, then he and his partner gave chase.

In the gunfight, part of which was caught on surveillance cameras, two 15-year-old boys where shot, one in the left leg, the other in the left knee. Both were transported to Harlem Hospital in stable condition.

It was unclear whether their wounds were from the police officer, or from the shooters, which included 18-year-old Damian Calhoun, and the 15-year-old who’d been shot in the leg, both of whom now face charges.

While information about the 15-year-old is scant, sources say he’d been charged with attempted murder as recently as Aug. 12.

Though bail had been set at $150,000 cash, or $450,000 bond, the 15-year-old suspect was released when prosecutors didn’t file their indictment in time, which according to New York State Criminal Procedure Law Section 180.80, is either five or six days (120 or 144 hours) after they’ve been in custody.

Calhoun, as a legal adult, is more knowable—including the ankle monitor he wore as part of July guilty plea deal on his own prior attempted murder case.

In the current incident, Calhoun was found to be carrying a gun loaded with a high-capacity magazine, though it’s not believed to have been used in this shooting.

Regardless, Calhoun’s possession of the weapon alone places his prior plea in serious jeopardy, and may land him five to 25 years in prison if convicted. Calhoun, a Black male, 5-foot-9, 140 pounds, is being held on Rikers Island without bail. His next scheduled court date is Oct. 17.

Speaking to reporters on Monday night, NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera blamed the Raise the Age law. “Once again we are here discussing the sad realities of youth violence and the consequences of our laws that have allowed some teens who commit violent crimes to evade meaningful accountability,” said Rivera.

Adult Crime Mostly Down, Youth Crime Rises Sharply

According to recently released Mayor’s Management Report, though crime was down in six of the seven major “index felonies” (rape was up), felony youth crime has skyrocketed since 2018, when the Raise the Age law, signed by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo, went into effect.

In fiscal year 2018, there were 2,200 felony youth arrests; in fiscal year 2021, 2,807; in fiscal year 2025, a horrifying 5,623.

Crimes against youth have also skyrocketed, from 2,259 in fiscal year 2021 to 5,177 in fiscal year 2025.

According to the NYPD, juvenile murder arrests nearly quadrupled from eight in 2017 to 30 in 2024.

“Good intentions can turn out bad results,” Mayor Eric Adams told the New York Post. “And, you know, we have poured money into after-school programs, we have poured money into summer youth employment and internships, so we don’t believe incarceration is the answer.”