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‘My son was tremendous’: Grieving family, community hold vigil for Heath Campbell, 15-year-old shooting victim in East Flatbush

people crying at vigil for health campbell
Joy Smith Campbell, mother of 15-year-old Heath Campbell, breaks down during a candlelight vigil held in East Flatbush on Wednesday night, surrounded by family, friends and community members.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

The memory of 15-year-old Heath Campbell was honored Wednesday, a day after he was fatally shot in a double shooting at 80 E. 93rd St. in East Flatbush. Campbell was struck by gunfire in the building’s lobby late Tuesday night.

As detectives continued to search for the suspect, Campbell’s parents, the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, and members of the God Squad gathered for a prayer vigil to remember the teen.

“My son was tremendous. He was a great student who loved sports and video games,” said Joy Smith Campbell, the victim’s mother. “It is tragic he just didn’t make it home.”

Joy Smith Campbell holds a photo of her 15-year-old son, Heath Campbell, during a vigil in East Flatbush on Wednesday night. The teen was fatally shot in the lobby of a building on Tuesday. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Flowers outside Campbell’s building. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Campbell’s older brother was set to celebrate his 18th birthday on Thursday.

The victim’s father, Lonzo Smith Campbell, pleaded with the public for information: “If you know anything, please report it. It will bring us closer. We want peace and resources for this area.”

The teen’s mother said several of her son’s teachers came to the hospital after hearing about the shooting.

“It touched my heart knowing they cared so much about him,” she said, adding that the family had recently moved from Queens in search of safety.

scene of east flatbush shooting
NYPD detectives investigate the scene of a double shooting at 80 E. 93rd St. in East Flatbush, where 15-year-old Heath Campbell was fatally shot in the lobby on Tuesday night. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Cops were called to the scene of Campbell’s killing at around 3:33 p.m. on Jan. 28. EMS rushed him to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.

During an investigation, cops also located a second victim in the shooting: a 16-year-old boy shot in the right shoulder. He is currently in stable condition at Brookdale University Hospital. Just three hours later, a 21-year-old was gunned down near 415 Lefferts Ave. in Wingate.

So far, no arrests have been made in either shooting case.

man speaking at east flatbush shooting vigil
Community groups like the 67th Precinct Clergy Council called for an end to gun violence in Brooklyn at Campbell’s vigil. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Members of the God Squad condemned the gun violence plaguing the area. “To have a mother standing here, along with family and friends, who lost her 15-year-old son — this is unnatural. A mother should not have to bury her child. Children are supposed to bury their parents.”

They also called on city officials to invest more resources in East Flatbush. “We are often neglected compared to most parts of the city,” one member said. “We can’t allow this to continue happening. It takes a village to raise a family.”