High School Athlete Accidentally Shot and Killed by Teammate

While hanging out in the apartment of a football teammate in Brooklyn, New York, 16-year-old Ka’Mardre Coleman was unintentionally shot in the chest, and pronounced dead later at a local hospital. 

A group of boys had gathered at the apartment. The mother of the boy who lived there was also at home. Another 16-year-old teammate had brought a pink and black gun with him that the group passed around while unloading and reloading it. The gun came back around to the boy who brought it, and when he reloaded the gun it fired, striking the victim. He initially tried to help his bleeding friend, but then fled with the gun. His mother is a police officer. He was charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.

Ka’Madre’s sister said he was looking forward to turning 17 in less than a week. “So excited, because it means he’s growing up.” He was a high school sophomore, and played on both the basketball and football team. He dreamed of going to Syracuse University as a student athlete and to eventually having a career in sports management.

Sources:

Andy Newman, Nate Schweber, Miles G. Cohen, “High School Athlete Is Shot Dead While Playing With Friends,”nytimes.com (March 26, 2026).

Doug Williams, “Brooklyn High School Football Player Accidentally Killed by Teammate in Shooting, Officials Say,”cbsnews.com (March 25, 2026).