Asbury Park shooting: 'Child killing child? This is not how we live'

The horror of it all is still sinking in.

That was the pervasive sentiment Friday in the aftermath of a community tragedy – the shooting death the night before of 10-year-old Yovanni Banos-Merino at a home on Ridge Avenue in Asbury Park, in an attack that also injured his mother, 39-year-old Lilia Merino. A 16-year-old Neptune boy who attended Neptune High School was arrested in connection with the shooting.

Here's what we know about the shooting so far.

"It's just very sad for the families and children involved, and the schools and the community have to work together to solve the problem," Neptune Board of Education President Laura Granelli said.

Yovanni, seen in photographs with a wide and easy smile, attended Bradley Elementary School off Third Avenue in Asbury Park, where classmates, parents and educators were reeling from the violence.

"It's crazy," said Paulette Swearine, whose grandson, Nah'meir Swearine, attends Bradley.

Nah'meir said everybody had the boy on their minds. "They were all talking about it," Nah'meir said.

"I was very concerned," said Oscar Hernandez, 32, whose daughter attends the school.

Neptune Schools Superintendent Tami Crader said the high school was put on lockdown briefly at the beginning of the school day Thursday, for no longer than about 10 minutes, so the student could be taken out of class by police. Sources confirmed the name of the suspect in custody: Jah-Del Birch.

Little could be learned about Birch, besides the obvious: He was at the center of a storm.

Crader said school safety has been on everyone's mind in the aftermath of the mass shooting last week at a high school in Parkland, Florida, where 17 lives were lost.

"Our staff and students responded appropriately, and police were swift and safe in removing the student from the school," Crader told the Asbury Park Press.

She said the school district's security consultant would meet with high school administration to "debrief and learn from the experience."

More: Don't ignore neighborhood gun violence: BERGMANN

"Certainly our reaction is we are disturbed, we are concerned, we are saddened," Crader said.

Neighbors who live near the shooting expressed shock, sorrow and outrage.

"Child killing child? This is not how we live, we try to raise our kids right," said Michael Hall, 49, of Neptune, after dropping his daughter off in Asbury Park near Merino's home Friday. "I have no words."

The Rev. Miguel Virella, pastor of Mother of Mercy parish, which includes Holy Spirit Church and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, said Yovanni's family attended the church for more than a decade. The family had struggled financially, he said. He said Lilia Merino worked hard on behalf of the family.

"I've seen that mother do the impossible to keep that family together with some stability," Virella said. "The pain that she feels must be indescribable."

MORE: Teen suspect in Asbury shooting ID'ed

Neighbors of the family were visibly shaken.

“I've seen the little kid and him playing outside earlier. When I saw it was him … it was crazy,” said Daniel Lopez of Asbury Park, as you can see in the video above. He said the younger generation was more violent.

"Back when I was young, it was no shootings, it was fighting, and we were friends the next day," Lopez said. "Now it's crazy when you say something to somebody, they come back the next day with a gun."

A representative of the family who declined to be identified said family members do not wish to speak with the media because they fear for their safety and seek privacy.

The state's lawmakers whose 11th district includes Asbury Park pointed to this killing and the Parkland shooting as proof federal lawmakers should pass stricter gun laws, although they did not specify what restrictions.

“While there are a multitude of complex problems that lead to tragedy like this, we know that restricting access to firearms nationwide will greatly reduce the likelihood of criminals having guns in the first place. It’s common sense," said Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, D-Monmouth, in a prepared statement. "What doesn’t make sense is the complete inaction in Washington, despite the appalling regularity of gun violence. We will continue to fight gun violence in America until the bitter end. Our children’s lives depends on it.”

"I am confident that New Jersey's leaders will make further progress on safer gun laws and I am proud to be a part of that movement," said state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth. "But we need the federal government to take action nationwide to stop the violence on the streets of our cities and end our mass shooting pandemic."

“The very fact that a 16-year-old boy – a child himself – has been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of a 10-year-old underscores the fact that we need to rethink gun regulation in this country to ensure that we don’t lose another child to senseless, needless violence,” said Assemblywoman Joann Downey, D-Monmouth.

The parent-teacher organization at Bradley Elementary is collecting supplies for the family while they await to return home. The organization is seeking new or gently used clothing for an infant boy and children ages 3 to 18, a stroller, diapers and nonperishable food or prepared restaurant meals.

Supplies can be taken to the Bradley Elementary School with approval from a PTO member. For more information, call the school at 732-776-3100.

A page on the crowdfunding website GoFundme has been set up to help fund funeral expenses for Yovanni Banos-Merino. As of Friday evening, nearly $4,000 had been raised toward the $7,000 goal.

There will be a vigil at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Boys & Girls Club of Monmouth County at 1201 Monroe Ave. in Asbury Park. Douglas Eagles, the executive director, said he hoped the vigil will help heal the community.

Contributing: Staff writer Steph Solis