A teenager’s life was cut short in a late-night shooting that unfolded in front of someone he cared about.

Seventeen-year-old Neo Secaira died Saturday night after a fatal encounter in Bayside, Queens, that also claimed the life of 28-year-old U.S. Marine Frank Liu. The tragic events, which police say stemmed from a complicated relationship involving a young woman, left a mother reeling and a community shaken.

On April 12, shortly after 10 p.m., law enforcement officers answered an emergency 911 call regarding an ongoing assault close to the intersection of Oceania Street and 48th Avenue.

Upon arrival, they discovered Neo with a chest wound from a gunshot and Frank, aged 28, with a gunshot wound to the head. They were taken to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where medical professionals confirmed their deaths.

Authorities believe the fatal shooting was the result of a jealous outburst tied to a love triangle. According to law enforcement sources, both men were involved with a 19-year-old woman who was present when the violence occurred. She had recently broken up with Frank and was seeing Neo, which reportedly enraged the Marine.

Neo had left work early after the woman called asking him to pick her up. His mother, Yolanda Secaira, said her son’s employer informed her that the call had prompted him to leave. She never expected it would be the last time he left his job.

Yolanda learned of her son’s death in a jarring way: from the mother of the man who allegedly killed him. “At 7:50 this morning, a woman rings my bell,” she recalled. “She asked me, she said, ‘Your son has curly hair?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said my son killed your son. I said, ‘What? Your son killed my son?’ She said yes.”

“It’s a horrible story, and then she pointed to my husband and she turned and left,” the heartbroken mother added.

Frank’s father, Huili Liu, described his son as deeply troubled. The Marine had reportedly been undergoing psychological treatment after serving overseas, where several of his comrades had died. “The pressure of being called up and this, together, it was too much,” said Huili.

Frank and the 19-year-old woman met while he was stationed in North Carolina. She later moved to New York, where she dated both men. A building superintendent familiar with Frank recalled previous erratic behavior, stating the young man often acted out in anger and confusion.

Neighbor Jennie Kim described hearing multiple gunshots that night, followed by a woman screaming for help. She said she and her daughter looked out and saw a distressed young woman near the scene.

Neo’s loved ones are now preparing to lay him to rest. A visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15, 2025, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and his final resting place will be St. Michael’s Cemetery in East Elmhurst.

Furthermore, his memory continues to be honored through an outpouring of love on his tribute wall. Emma Sioson wrote, “You will always be a special memory.. I love you with all my heart [sic].”

Others echoed the sentiment. Cesar Cabrera, Sean Margraf, and Bianca Suwara shared, “Neo you’re no longer with us but the memories we shared will last forever [sic]. You will always live on in our hearts. Sending our prayers to your family.”

David Bermejo expressed grief over the loss, remembering their time at the Boy’s Club and offering condolences to Neo’s brother. Hadia Saleh recalled how Neo had a gift for brightening any conversation, even though they didn’t speak often.

Ms. Maharajh, a teacher, remembered Neo as respectful and kind, noting how he chose to attend her French class and participate despite not being enrolled. “He was a kind, polite and respectful and a real gem among all students,” she wrote. “Gone too soon! We will all miss you, Neo!”

The NYPD has not released the identities of the victims officially and said the investigation remains ongoing. Unfortunately, Neo is not the only 17-year-old who has died recently. In a separate, equally heartbreaking incident, William Turner passed on his way to the prom that same Saturday.

Furthermore, as reported earlier today, a 14-year-old girl was identified by her family as the victim of a fatal shooting that took place on Sunday morning, April 6, in Evansville, Wisconsin. Florencia Henthorn died after being found with a gunshot wound on the 300 block of South Madison Street.

Emergency responders from Evansville Police and Fire/EMS arrived shortly before 9:15 a.m. First aid was provided, and the victim was transported to a local hospital, where she later died. Authorities have not yet formally named the victim. However, Florencia’s identity was confirmed by her parents, Jeremiah Henthorn and Natalia Lema.

In a phone interview with WMTV early Tuesday, April 8, Florencia’s parents described their heartbreak. “I have no words, I am devastated,” said Natalia Lema. “I feel like time stopped and I’m lost. Sometimes I don’t know how to feel or what to do.”

Her father, Jeremiah, shared that they are still searching for answers. “She knew I was gonna be there no matter what,” he shared. “I never got a call that day, that was troubling.”

The family described Florencia as a caring and vibrant girl who made a meaningful impact on their lives. Her father expressed, “She mattered, but the world might not see that but she mattered to us.”

He shared that Florencia loved animals, music, her friends, and her family. She was known for standing up for others. “If somebody was the small person or the underdog, she would fight for them,” he added.

Florencia’s mother revealed that her daughter had been looking forward to an important upcoming milestone. “She was about to turn 15 beginning of May and she was looking forward to her quinceañera because she’s Spanish. You know she didn’t get to experience that [sic].”

In a separate video interview, Natalia said, “She just loved everybody. Her family and friends meant everything to her.”

She also recalled their conversation from the morning of her daughter’s death. “She didn’t sound scared, mad, angry, sad, nothing. She sounded normal. I asked her if she was safe. She said, ‘Yes, of course. I’m good.'”

Florencia’s father noted that there were no signs that anything was wrong. “If she ever felt scared or anything, she would call me. She never called me,” mentioned Jeremiah.

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office reported that the Evansville Police Department requested them to lead the investigation, which remains active and ongoing. On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 8, three individuals were arrested in connection with Florencia’s death.

Authorities confirmed the arrests of 26-year-old Hunter Drefal, 20-year-old Alyssa Arens, and 44-year-old William Drefal. As the investigation into the fatal shooting continues, the Evansville community and beyond have come together to support Florencia Henthorn’s grieving family.

A GoFundMe page has been launched to assist the Henthorn family with funeral expenses. As of Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the campaign had raised $13,528.

The fundraiser, organized by Cori VanGalder, describes the situation as deeply heartbreaking, “14-year old Florencia Henthorn lost her life on Sunday, April 6th, a victim of gun violence. Please consider donating to help her family lay her to rest. No parent should ever have to plan their child’s funeral, or worry about how to pay for it.”

In an update on the fundraiser, the organizer thanked contributors and shared, “Now that additional details in the case have been uncovered, we would love to donate everything in excess of the funeral costs to one of the Wisconsin organizations that assists families who’ve been affected by domestic and/or sexual abuse, in Florencia’s name, so it lives on. We will continue to collect for this purpose through Thursday, April 9th.”

Amid the wave of support, Florencia’s mom shared a deeply emotional message on Facebook the day after the shooting, accompanied by a photo of herself with her daughter.

Florencia’s boyfriend also honored her in a heartfelt TikTok tribute. Expressing pain and disbelief, he posted, “Lost for words can only sit in silence and think why isn’t she here god why did they do this to my baby… Baby I promise they will pay for what they’ve done to you this isn’t over rest up love until we meet again [sic].”

In the days after her death, family and friends gathered to remember Florencia. Her mother posted photos from the gathering on Facebook, showing people wearing hoodies in her memory as they honored the life of the young girl taken too soon.

As one community in Wisconsin mourns the loss of a young life to gun violence, another tragedy unfolded in Texas, where a high school student’s fatal stabbing of a peer has led to legal action, public outcry, and emotional appeals from both families.

17-year-old Karmelo Anthony directly admitted to police that he was responsible for the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf, a Memorial High School student, during a track meet in Frisco on April 2.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by NBC 5 Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW), when officers referred to him as the “alleged suspect,” Karmelo, a student at Centennial High School, responded with, “I’m not alleged, I did it.”

The affidavit details Karmelo claiming he acted in self-defense, telling a school resource officer on the scene, “I was protecting myself,” and “He put his hands on me.”

Authorities say he also asked officers whether what happened could be considered self-defense and whether the victim would be okay.

Karmelo’s admission came shortly after the incident, which occurred around 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 3, during a high school track meet at Kuykendall Stadium.

According to an arrest affidavit, Karmelo had taken shelter under a pop-up tent belonging to another school as rain began to fall.

When he was asked to move, an altercation broke out between him and Austin, 17. A witness told police that Karmelo unzipped his bag, reached inside, and warned him, “Touch me and see what happens.” Moments later, Austin allegedly grabbed Karmelo, who then pulled out a black knife and stabbed him once in the chest.

A school resource officer from nearby Staley Middle School was the first to respond. Austin suffered a fatal wound to the heart. His father, Jeff Metcalf, said his son died in the arms of his twin brother, Hunter.

“They were twins, identical twins, and his brother was holding on to him, trying to make it stop bleeding, and he died in his brother’s arms,” he recalled.

He further explained that he had rushed to the scene after learning about the stabbing. When he arrived, he found Austin on a gurney and was told his son wasn’t breathing.

He described seeing a large amount of blood and the location of the wound. Deeply concerned, he searched for Hunter, and the two went together to the hospital.

There, the family prayed as doctors attempted to save his son’s life. Despite their efforts, Austin could not be revived. His father described the loss as part of “God’s plan,” though he said he didn’t understand it and called what happened “murder.”

Austin’s mother, Meghan, recalled rushing to the hospital immediately after Hunter called her. “My son is not here anymore, and I don’t understand it,” she said. “He was the most amazing kid. So smart. He had college football guys looking at him to play in college. His goal was to play in college.”

Hunter remembered reacting immediately when the incident happened. He turned quickly to his brother and, though visibly emotional, chose not to describe the full scene. He shared that he did everything he could to help Austin in those critical moments.

Hunter said Austin “did everything” for their family. “As a linebacker, he was a stud, and I always tried to fill those shoes and play with him. I had a blast my whole life playing sports with him,” he remarked.

Although Austin was only four minutes older, Hunter said he always looked up to him, adding, “He was a big brother even though we’re the same age.”

Meghan shared the emotional weight of losing her son and spoke about how she and her family intend to carry his memory forward.

“We just want to make sure that everybody knows how much Austin is still going to be in our lives as far as our memories and our hearts forever. It’s going to be really hard,” she explained.

In a joint statement released on April 4, Friday, Meghan and Hunter thanked the community for its overwhelming support. They said they would leave the investigation in the hands of detectives while focusing on commemorating Austin’s life and legacy.

The family also launched a GoFundMe campaign, titled “Honoring Austin Metcalf: Help His Family Heal,” where Austin’s dad described him as a driven student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA and a deep passion for football.

“We will all remember him for the way he impacted others’ lives. I love you forever, son. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. God will take care of us till we meet again. RIP. Love, Dad,” Jeff wrote. The campaign has raised $347,969 as of this writing.

On the day after the stabbing, Memorial High School paused during second period to honor Austin, as the community continued to rally around his grieving family.

Karmelo is currently charged with murder and remains in custody at the Collin County Jail on a $1 million bond. His attorneys, Billy Clark and Kim T. Cole, released their first public statement on Monday, April 7, expressing condolences to the Metcalf family and emphasizing Karmelo’s right to due process.

“Karmelo and the entire Anthony family are sincerely saddened that a life was lost,” they said. “We are committed to ensuring that Karmelo’s rights are indeed protected throughout each phase of the criminal justice system.”

They confirmed plans to work with the Collin County District Attorney’s Office to seek a reduction of the bond and a re-evaluation of the charge.

The attorneys also noted that Karmelo told police he acted in self-defense and asked whether the incident could be considered as such.

“This will certainly be a long road ahead and during this challenging time, we ask for prayers for both families and we ask for your patience and respect for the legal process as we seek the truth,” the lawyers stated.

Shortly after the incident, Karmelo’s family launched their own GiveSendGo campaign, titled “Help Karmelo Official Fund.” The page describes the circulating narrative as “false, unjust, and harmful,” and thanks supporters for their prayers and donations.

As of this writing, the fundraiser has collected $428,482 toward its $500,000 goal.

One donor, Stephanie Crutchfield, owner and CEO of multiple businesses, including Cutting Edge Tax Software and Crutchfield Taxes & Financial Solutions, contributed $1,000 and shared a public message of support, “Let’s get this baby home. I have a young black son as well, and I live in Collin County.

She added, “This baby was bullied and was defending himself, I know it’s [sic] more to this story. I’m praying 🙏🏾 for you and your family. Please let me know how else I can help.”

If convicted of murder, Karmelo reportedly faces a potential sentence of five to 99 years in prison under Texas law.