By Jeff Mays
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
HARLEM — The grandmother of Luis Soto, the 21-year-old Bronx man likely killed by a police officer's bullet during a shootout early Sunday in Harlem, told a crowd gathered at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network Tuesday night that she wanted justice.
“I want justice, justice,” Myrna Soto, 59, of the Bronx, screamed while looking at Sharpton. “I don’t know if tomorrow I’m going to die. I want justice and closure.”
About 30 of Soto’s family and friends lined the first four rows of the meeting, wearing RIP shirts and small laminated cards saying, “Sleep in Peace.”
“Every time I watch the news, it’s true, kids are dying,” continued Soto. “Our children are not going to have a future.”
Sharpton, community leaders and elected officials, including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, State Sen. Eric Schneiderman and Assemblyman Keith Wright, gathered at National Action Network’s headquarters on 145th Street and Lenox Avenue to say that the NYPD needs to be investigated for its actions Sunday morning.
But the leaders also stressed that young black and Latino men need to stop killing one another in the street and lay their weapons down.
“This is time for us to look in the mirror and say: ‘What have we contributed to this violent atmosphere that has engulfed our community,’” Sharpton said.
“It’s easy to blame everybody else. And there is blame to go around. Clearly there was some overreaction here. Clearly, no bullets should have been fired......but that should not also be used to justify in any way shape or form our walking around with guns…We did not fight and go to jail to give you the right to be a hoodlum and a thug,” Sharpton said
Soto was fatally shot several times after an alleged altercation with Angel Alvarez, 23, of Harlem. Police at first said that Alvarez killed Soto before turning the gun on police. However, a bullet removed from Soto during his autopsy was reportedly more consistent with the type of 9 mm bullets used by police. Alvarez was shot at least 20 times, according to his lawyer, and remains hospitalized at Harlem Hospital.
Speaker after speaker at Tuesday's gathering said that parents must hold their children accountable for their actions and young people must find ways other than violence to solve their problems.
“Our children are communicating when they shoot a gun. What we fail to realize is that violence is a form of communication. You are not hearing me so I’m going to yell, I’m going to punch. I’m going to kick, I’m going to shoot,” said Harlem resident Reena Walker.
"We have to start teaching our children how to communicate effectively. That’s how disputes are resolved. Otherwise, the violence will continue.”
