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Alleged Bryant Park Shooter Asked for Mom After Arrest, Sources Say

By  Murray Weiss Ben Fractenberg and Alan Neuhauser | November 11, 2013 2:06pm 

 Police arrested Corey Dunton, 16, in his Bronx apartment after the shooting at Bryant Park Saturday night, which injured two people.
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MANHATTAN — The Bronx teen suspected of shooting two people in the Bryant Park ice skating rink over the weekend asked for his mother when he was arrested Sunday, sources said.

Corey Dunton, 16, was arrested at his mom's Bronx apartment after police negotiated with him for 45 minutes to open the door, sources said.

"He was pretty scared," a law enforcement source said of the teen, who reportedly posted to his Facebook account during the standoff saying he'd rather die than go to jail.

“These n----s gunna have to take me out take my life … I aint goin to jail reather take my life!" Dunton reportedly posted to his Facebook 9 a.m. Sunday.

The melee started Saturday night after Dunton, who has several prior arrests, approached Javier Contreras, 20, and demanded his Marmot Mammoth jacket, sources said.

Contreras refused to hand it over and Dunton left, returning a short time later with a gun, sources said.

He allegedly fired the shots while the rink was packed with skaters about 11 p.m.

Contreras was hit in the hand and the hip, police said. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover.

Avid skater Adonis Mera, 14, was also hit in the back and leg. His brother, Jorge Arias, 24, told reporters he feared Mera may be paralyzed.

"He's a baby, he's a little kid," he said. Arias added that he didn't know if Mera was conscious. "I didn't really try to talk to him, I just wanted to see his face."

Dunton was charged Monday evening with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. He was remanded and, according to city corrections records, is being held at the Robert N. Davoren Complex, a detention center for 16- to 18-year-olds in East Elmhurst.

Ahead of the arraignment Monday, Dunton smiled and shouted at photographers as he was walked by detectives from the Midtown South Precinct stationhouse, where he had been questioned.

"“F--k all you n-----s!” he yelled, news sources reported.

He later added that the shooting, “wasn’t over a jacket — it was over your mother, ni--a!”

On Saturday night, a large group of young people from The Bronx had traveled to the rink to skate, sources said.

Police questioned witnesses after the shooting, one of whom identified Dunton as the possible shooter, according to sources.

That led investigators to his Bronx apartment.

After arresting Dunton, police found a number of liquor bottles in his apartment, sources said.

Dunton posted to Facebook about being drunk a day before the shooting, the Daily News reported.

He had also reportedly talked about causing trouble at the rink.

“Bryant Park looking to litt Saterday [sic] gotta bring da amp,” Dunton reportedly posted on Friday.

Amp is also often used as street slang for a gun, police sources added.

After asking for his mother, the Bronx teen refused to answer questions and asked for his lawyer.

Police were at the rink Monday with metal detectors looking for the gun Dunton allegedly used.