NYC Murder of Migrant Teen Yeremi Colino Incites Calls for Criminal Justice Equality

In the wake of the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, the NYPD and police departments from surrounding areas — in addition to internet sleuths and do-gooders across the northeast — worked tirelessly to track down the man suspected of pulling the trigger, who has now been identified as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione.

However, as the promises of hefty financial rewards and news programs plastered with his surveillance camera footage have started to die down, folks are learning of another New York City murder that took place just one day later.

News of the tragic killing of 17-year-old migrant Yeremi Colino is starting to gain traction, and now, folks are pointing out differences in the way that the two crimes were handled by the NYPD.

So, what exactly happened to Yeremi? Here's what we know.

17-year-old Yeremi Colino was fatally stabbed on the evening of Dec. 5 during a dispute that took place on John Street near Broadway, according to ABC Eyewitness News.

The altercation allegedly took place after a large group of men were "flashing gang signs" on the street and the victims — Yeremi and an 18-year-old friend who was injured — confronted them. When asked why they were showing the gang signs, things escalated into a brawl.

That's when Yeremi was stabbed to death and dragged into a nearby pharmacy, according to police.

Investigators believe that the victims were members of Venezuelan migrant gangs "taking hold in New York City-run hotels around 42nd Street," while the suspects are reportedly members of a rival gang from the Caribbean community.

According to early reports of the murder, an eyewitness told police that the boy was stabbed after being approached by a group of men and asked if he spoke English, to which he replied, "No."

However, new developments have led investigators to believe that this is not actually what took place.

Because of the initial reports, Yeremi Colino's stabbing is being called a hate crime, which has fueled anger at the NYPD's supposed unfair treatment of his case, especially in comparison to the murder of Brian Thompson. Online, folks are calling for police across the country to stop prioritizing white, wealthy victims over others.

"Yeremi Colino was murdered on the [day after] Brian Thompson. And we’re supposed to be outraged and shocked because he was a CEO? His life was worth more? No," one frustrated user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote.

Another said, "Yeremi Colino was murdered in New York on the [day after] Thompson in a literal hate crime ... Killer still on the loose. I don’t see the @NewYorkFBI looking into this or NYPD providing rewards and countless updates."

However, despite the criticism, the NYPD has remained that they are working diligently to catch the murder suspects and "pumping resources into this case," according to ABC.