Investigators say a person handling a gun may have fled after the round was fired.
NEW YORK — Police are investigating the death of 18-year-old Kimberly Olmos as a homicide after she was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a stairwell at a public housing complex on West 55th Street early Sunday in Manhattan, officials said.
Detectives said the shooting happened around 12:45 a.m. and initially was reviewed as possibly self-inflicted. Investigators now believe Olmos was with at least one other person who was handling a firearm when it discharged. That person left before officers arrived, according to police.
Friends described Olmos as funny and warm, a teen who loved crafts and had been planning for college. Daya Nellis, who said she was close to Olmos, called her “amazing” and said her presence “filled the room.” Another friend, Jordan Berrios, said the loss felt like “another young soul” taken by gunfire.
A small memorial of candles and flowers has formed outside Olmos’ home in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx. Mourners have left notes and photos while urging whoever handled the gun to come forward. “Turn yourself in,” friend Jason Rodriguez said, adding that accountability was the first step toward justice for the family.
Police have not announced arrests, recovered the weapon or said who else may have been present. Homicide detectives are reviewing building cameras and canvassing for witnesses. Officials said the medical examiner will determine the official cause of death, and investigators will present findings to prosecutors when the timeline is clearer.
As the search continues, relatives are preparing funeral services while friends keep vigil near the building and at the Bronx memorial. The case remains open, with investigators focusing on locating the person believed to have fled and reconstructing the minutes before the fatal shot.