Police shoot and kill teen brandishing replica handgun in upstate New York, authorities say

An upstate New York police officer shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who was running with a “realistic-looking firearm,” authorities said Saturday.

Utica Police Chief Mark Williams said the shooting happened Friday evening after officers in the city, about 240 miles northwest of Manhattan, arrested two youths shortly after 10 p.m. .

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One of them fled on foot and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the officers, he said during a news conference at Utica City Hall. Members of the community, including the young person's family, were present.

One of the officers fired a single shot at the teenager “during a struggle on the ground,” hitting him in the chest, Williams said.

The teen received “immediate” first aid from officers and was taken to Wynn Hospital, where he died, the chief said.

He was identified as Nyah Mway, a 13-year-old Karen refugee born in Myanmar and an 8th grade student at Donovan Middle School, Lt. Michael Curley, a department spokesman, confirmed later Saturday.

Utica, a city of more than 65,000 along the Mohawk River, is home to more than 4,200 people from Myanmar, according to The Center, a nonprofit that helps resettle refugees.

The Karen are an ethnic minority that is one of the groups at war against the military rulers of the former Burma. The military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and suppressed many nonviolent protests that sought a return to democratic rule.

Kathleen Davis, interim superintendent of the Utica City School District, offered her condolences to the victim's family in a statement posted online.

Davis expressed “deep sadness” over this “tragic and senseless loss” and also offered support to “our law enforcement partners, who are tirelessly working to keep our streets safe.”

Williams, the police chief, declined to provide further details about what prompted the stop or preceded the shooting, saying that would be part of the investigation. Officers recovered a replica GLOCK 17 Gen 5 pistol with a detachable magazine at the scene, he added.

“This is in every way a realistic looking firearm with the GLOCK markings, signatures, detachable magazine and serial numbers,” Curley said via email later when asked to elaborate on the weapon. “However, ultimately it only fires pellets or BBs.”

Williams said that in the coming days, the department will release a report on the incident along with the full body camera video of the officers involved. The officer who fired has not been publicly identified.

At city hall on Saturday, people sometimes shouted silence at officials' remarks, while at other times people asked for silence so members of the Karen community could hear translations from an interpreter.

Mayor Michael Galime said the city would be transparent in its investigation and that he and other officials would meet privately with the teen's family and other community members.

“We are holding this press conference so that you can all be in this room,” he said. “We understand the weight of this situation and we want to make sure every piece is understood. Everything will be made public, and everyone in this room and the entire community will have access to all of this information.”

Williams said the New York State Attorney General's Office will lead the investigation and determine whether it is warranted. The office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.

The police department will also conduct its own internal investigation to see if officers followed policies and training, Williams said.

The officers involved will be placed on administrative leave with pay, in accordance with protocol, he added.

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Williams said the department was aware of a video of the incident that had circulated on social media, but cautioned that it did not depict the incident in its entirety.

“I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the deceased during this difficult time,” he said. “This is a tragic and traumatic incident for all involved.”