The significance of the Fort Independence Houses in Kingsbridge Heights looms large for the family of Angellyh Yambo. It was the 18th floor, where Yambo went through many firsts. It’s where many of her family members still live. In fact, 3340 Bailey Ave. was Yambo’s most used password for her social media accounts, her mother Yanely Henriquez told the Bronx Times.
And now, the NYCHA complex will forever be located on Angellyh Marieh Yambo Way, a fitting tribute to the late 16 year old.
It’s been a year since the Yambo-Henriquez family lost their princess to a stray bullet fired from 17-year-old Jeremiah Ryan’s illegal ghost gun just blocks away from the University Prep Charter High School she attended in the South Bronx.
In front of the Kingsbridge community that wore the many symbols that defined Yambo’s all-too-brief life — including the colors pink and purple and various butterfly icons and symbols — Saturday’s street co-naming ceremony, scheduled on the first anniversary of Yambo’s death, was filled with bittersweet intentionality.
“I didn’t want her to be remembered on that spot (she died). I want her to be remembered where she was born and raised,” said Henriquez. “Our family still lives here. She was always around this block. It’s a sad, bittersweet honor, but an honor to see her name on that sign.”
The last 365 days have been a rollercoaster for Yambo’s parents, Henriquez and her father, Manuel Yambo, with a conflicting mixture of good and bad days.
Manuel Yambo told the Times he often thinks about his daughter’s humor — a trait she adopted from him — and her ability to turn anything into a joke.
“It means a lot to know I could wake up every morning when I’m … going to work and see her name here,” he said. “I wish we didn’t have to go through all of that for this to happen. It’s bittersweet. She was everything to me.”
Henriquez also misses her daughter’s humor, her 1000-watt smile and the little things, such as her constant battles with the family dog and her world-class sandwiches. But the bad days — the unbearable pain of outliving a child and the heartbreak of Angellyh Yambo’s unfulfilled promise dashed by reckless gun play — don’t fade away with the passage of time.
“I have days when I can just see her pictures and clown around, because our bond and love is what will always keep her and I together,” Henriquez said. “That’s what’s keeping me alive, because I know she’s like ‘mommy you got this, you have to continue to be strong.'”
Much of the pain experienced by the Yambo-Henriquez family has been redirected into a foundation that bears her name, and seeks to change outcomes for Bronx children.
The Angellyh Yambo Foundation Inc.’s goal, her aunt Mary Hernandez says, is to reach Yambo’s peers at University Prep, located in the South Bronx’s Melrose neighborhood, through programming, educational awareness efforts and workshops for both student and parents to challenge local gun culture and violence.
The family, through the foundation, is also pushing for change to federal laws, including the legislative avenues to strengthen the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, Hernandez said.
Call to action and accountability
Saturday’s street co-naming was a massive effort undertaken by Councilmember Pierina Sanchez, whose district includes Kingsbridge Heights. Sanchez sees untold complexity in the City Council District 14 she’s represented since 2022.
On the same morning that the councilmember tearfully read an essay written by Angellyh Yambo that exhibited the teen’s curious drive, Sanchez also hosted an Easter Egg Hunt 17 minutes south at the Bean Morris Community Garden. Sanchez told the Bronx Times that her district is more than just the high-profile crime that takes place within its borders, and it’s her goal to improve outcomes for her youngest constituents through a multi-layered investment that includes policy and programming.
According to NYPD data, In New York City alone, nearly 150 people under the age of 18 were shot in New York City alone last year — and 16 died. The Gun Violence Archive reports there were more than 1,350 teens killed in shootings across the U.S. in 2022.
In the South Bronx, cyclical gun violence is met with uncomfortable numbness and a desire to leave
“Gun violence is not okay. It’s not normal,” said Sanchez. “We face disadvantages, our statistics light up in the worst ways for many of the harsh indicators in our community, whether that’s health, educational attainment, economic, economic mobility, rental or housing stability. … So not only do we have to focus on gun violence, but the entire continuum and the social detriments of health.”
Also in attendance, Mayor Eric Adams spoke of the love a parent has for a child and how that pushes him to tackle the city’s gun violence, which is on the decline, according to NYPD stats. So far in 2023, shooting incidents have dropped by 23% and shooting victims are down 17% year over year.
“I have one son, Jordan Coleman, and I love my son. … He’s still someone that every time I hear about a young person that is a victim of a crime, I reflect,” hizzoner said. “We are extremely dogmatic about removing these illegal guns off our streets. It is killing our community in a real way, and we must get to those who believe the only way they could resolve conflicts is to use a gun.”
Last summer, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against 10 ghost gun dealers for allegedly selling tens of thousands of illegal and untraceable “ghost guns” that city officials said contributed to a rise in shootings in 2022.
Each of the politicos who spoke on Saturday from Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson to Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, whose South Bronx district includes University Prep, cited a need for justice in Angellyh Yambo’s case.
The alleged assailant, Ryan, is set to appear in court on April 21, and is facing multiple charges including murder, attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon. As an adolescent defendant, Ryan faces a lesser sentence of up to 15 years in prison if convicted, rather than the 25-years-to-life he would have faced as an adult.
“I promised this family the day this happened a year ago, that this office will never leave them, and we will hold the individual responsible for this accountable and get justice for Angellyh,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. “We shouldn’t be here having to honor her. She should be here honoring herself, galvanizing her community to bring peace to our streets.”
As the sun peeked out over 3340 Bailey Ave., many flooded the Henriquez-Yambo family with warm hugs, affectations and condolences for the grieving journey now and ahead.
For Henriquez and Manuel Yambo, they are in an unfortunate “club” of parents who have outlived their child. The significance of their interactions with Angellyh Yambo’s three brothers grows more, and each “I love you” carries weight.
“Life is short, and my perspective on life has changed because of Angie,” Henriquez said. “This is hard. This is a group nobody wants to be a part of, and I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this.”
