OCEANSIDE, N.Y. — Police arrested a teenage suspect Wednesday after they say a 16-year-old boy was beaten and stabbed to death before a crowd of onlookers who watched and recorded video – but never tried to help.
Tyler Flach, 18, has been charged with murder after Khaseen Morris was fatally stabbed in the chest Monday in Oceanside, New York.
Police rushed to the strip mall on Brower Avenue after receiving 911 calls about a large group of teens fighting around 3:45 p.m.
It happened in front of dozens of fellow students, many of whom allegedly filmed the attack, which also left another teen hospitalized with a broken arm and swelling to his head, police said Tuesday.
The fight erupted after a large group of teens had gotten out of nearby Oceanside High School, where Morris had just transferred this school year.
"There's got to be about 50, 60, 70 kids here," said Detective Lt. Stephen Fitzpatrick, the commander of the Nassau County Police Homicide Division at a news conference at the crime scene on Tuesday morning. "We have a handful of kids that have come forward who have identified people involved in this."
Still, the chief detective said "there's definitely more" witnesses who need to contact police.
"They videoed his death instead of helping him," Fitzpatrick added, "so anybody that has video or has first hand information, come forward."
When officers arrived, they found Morris stabbed in the chest. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and later died.
"He loved photography," said Morris's sister, Keyanna, in an interview with WPIX. "He loved art, he loved drawing, he loved reading. He loved his skateboard!" she exclaimed.
"He loved his family," she added, choking back tears.
According to police and his family, he'd been told someone was looking for him, regarding a girl he'd befriended.
"He thought someone just wanted to fight him, over a girl," said his sister. Police confirmed that, as well. "He said, 'I'm friends with everyone, and I don't even look at her that way,'" Khaseen's sister said.
She said her slain brother was "my mom's baby, her youngest child."
"I just hope they get caught," said Keyanna. "I hope they get everything they deserve, because you guys took my brother away from me."
