{"id":546743,"date":"2026-01-27T11:47:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/546743\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T11:47:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:47:49","slug":"brother-of-man-shot-on-birthday-after-bronx-party-witnessed-the-slaying-was-also-wounded","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/546743\/","title":{"rendered":"Brother of man shot on birthday after Bronx party witnessed the slaying, was also wounded"},"content":{"rendered":"

The younger brother of a man shot celebrating his birthday<\/a> in the Bronx witnessed the slaying and was wounded by the gunman too, the siblings\u2019 heartbroken mother revealed Monday.<\/p>\n

Keon Gill and his 25-year-old brother had just left a nightclub near W. 242nd St. and Broadway\u00a0in Riverdale when they were shot just before 3 a.m. Sunday, cops said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne is dead. One could have been dead,\u201d said mother, Brenda Gill, 68. \u201cIt was really not right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keon turned 44 the day he was killed and was celebrating his birthday in the Bronx, where he used to live, with friends and his brother, his mother said. He currently lived in Middletown, N.Y., in Orange County, about 70 miles north of the city.<\/p>\n

Brenda last spoke to Keon Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe says, \u2018Ma, I\u2019ll see you later. You gonna cook for me on Sunday?\u2019\u201d she recalled. \u201cI said. \u2018Yeah, that\u2019s your birthday.\u2019 So he said, \u2018I love you, Ma. Talk to you later.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never got a chance to say happy birthday, get the cake,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"KeonKeon Gill (second right) with his children Keon Gill Jr. (left) Keymell Gill (second left) and Jeneyah Gill (right). (Courtesy of Mahogany Gill)<\/p>\n

A fight broke out between the killer and the brothers before shots rang out, police said. Gill, who was shot in the chest, died a short time later at St. Barnabas Hospital. His brother, who was shot in the leg and grazed in the head, survived after being rushed to the same hospital.<\/p>\n

The brothers had stopped at a store outside the club and were walking to their car parked near Van Cortlandt Park for the return trip home when they were confronted by the gunman, their mother said.<\/p>\n

\"KeonKeon Gill. (Courtesy of Family)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bullet went through his heart and hit the lung and he died,\u201d the mother said of Keon.\u00a0 \u201cIt was three bullets. One went through my younger son\u2019s ear and grazed at the top of the head. It\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being shot, \u201cKeon ran but he took his coat off and he said, \u2018Call Mommy, I can\u2019t breathe.’\u201d his mother said. \u201cHe fell down. The ambulance came.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keon\u2019s wounded brother\u00a0is now at home recovering.<\/p>\n

There have been no arrests. The motive for the shooting remains a mystery.<\/p>\n

\"KeonKeon Gill with his daughter Keonna Gill. (Courtesy of Mahogany Gill)<\/p>\n

\u201cHe went to a party,\u201d Keon\u2019s mother said. \u201cI\u2019m thinking (the killer\u2019s) trying to rob these boys because they have on nice stuff. You just don\u2019t run around killing people. It\u2019s really not fair to the families \u2026 It\u2019s not acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keon was a father of four, two sons and two daughters, who are heartbroken by their father\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\"KeonKeon Gill with unidentified family member. (Courtesy of Family)<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I have to bury him,\u201d his mother said. \u201cHis kids are asking me, \u2018Grandma, why? Grandma please, wake him up.\u2019 I can\u2019t wake him up. I wish I could wake him up. I can\u2019t wake him up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keon was a talented athlete who traveled across the country playing basketball in high school, his ex-wife, who is the mother of his three oldest kids, told the Daily News.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to be good,\u201d the ex-wife, Mahogany Gill, 44, said of his high school career. \u201cYou have to definitely be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The victim continued playing ball into adulthood with the YMCA of Middletown men\u2019s league, which honored him after his death with a memorial jersey his team will play with in the coming season.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time we step on the court, every time we compete, every time we come together at the park or the gyms \u2014 we carry you with us,\u201d the YMCA men\u2019s league posted on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cYour initials are on our hearts and now on our jerseys, forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA memorial jersey that the YMCA Men’s League made in Gill’s honor. His team will wear it to games in their upcoming season.<\/p>\n

Keon shared his loved of the game with his oldest son, also named Keon, who played basketball for Middletown High School<\/a> before going on to play college ball at Jarvis Christian College<\/a> in Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis son followed him,\u201d said Mahogany. \u201cHe has three kids in college.\u201d<\/p>\n

The victim dedicated his life to his children, giving up his own college ambitions to raise his kids, his ex-wife said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was going to college and we ended up having kids, so he put them first. \u2026 Having kids young, you give up those dreams and opportunities to raise a family,\u201d said Mahogany. \u201cThat\u2019s what we did. One thing he wanted to instill in his kids, he wanted them to be better than him and he wanted them to get an education and go to college.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re so hurt,\u201d she added. \u201cMy kids are just devastated. He was a role model to his kids. His kids looked up to him and he looked up to his kids. His kids meant everything to him in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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