Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at an April 21 press briefing that Amuri Greene, who was arrested hours after the horrific April 1 stray-bullet shooting, told detectives that he had intended to gun down Jamari Patterson, allegedly because he had previously targeted him inside the nearby Marcy Houses.
While authorities believe that the slain child’s father was the intended target, they remain skeptical of Greene’s story.
“As of right now, we are unaware of that shooting. We have nobody arrestable for that. We have no indication that it even took place,” Chief Kenny said.
Instead, police believe the shooting stemmed from drill rap videos in which Patterson was spotted allegedly calling out gangs on social media.
Greene fired the deadly shots from the back of a scooter just after 1:20 p.m. on April 1 at the corner of Moore and Humboldt streets. The alleged driver, Matthew Rodriguez, laid the blame solely on Greene, telling amNewYork that he had no idea that his partner in crime was going to open fire.
“It’s not my fault, I don’t pull the trigger. I promise I didn’t know. I promise, I promise, I didn’t know. I didn’t know he was going to do it. I didn’t know he was going to pull the trigger,” Rodriguez said over and over again. “I didn’t know he was going to do that.”
Kenny disputed that claim, stating that surveillance video leading up to the incident showed both men riding around the neighborhood for some time, indicating they were looking for their target.
“It’s obvious from the video that they were on the hunt, because they’re in and out of the development several times before they start driving on Moore, where they come across Mr. Patterson,” Kenny said.
The death of Kaori Patterson-Moore left the family and her community in mourning. According to her family, the child was just starting to take her first steps and say her first words when her life was taken as she was pushed in a stroller that afternoon. Her tiny pink casket could be seen during an emotional funeral procession on April 14. It was adorned with her name and the Disney icon Mini Mouse.
Meanwhile, both Greene and Rodriguez are charged with murder.
