Dayshen McKenzie was a 16 year old aspiring rapper from Staten Island, New York. He rapped under his nickname Poppa Jawn and posted several music videos on YouTube. He had seven siblings and was the youngest child of Tisha Richardson. ^[1]

Richardson  said her son was a comedian, a promoter, a rapper and a basketball player.

Death

On May 27, 2016 Dayshen McKenzie died from an asthma attack while running away from a group of mostly white teenagers in three cars waving a gun and yelling racial slurs.

Dayshen and six of his friends went to a Checkers, a burger restaurant in Mariners Harbor where they ran into a group of white and some hispanic youths behind the restaurant.

One of Dayshen's friends had a dispute with one of the members of the mostly white crew.

The dispute escalated when the group of white teenagers came back in three cars with one member in the first car waving a gun.

Dayshen's group ran away once they saw the gun.

Dayshen then hid in a shed, when friends tried to pull him out, Diane Fatigati, a retire former NYPD officer and 9/11 responder saw them and gave CPR and revived Dayshen twice.

Emergency personnel rushed Dayshen to Richmond University Medical Center, where the he was pronounced dead.

Police are currently investigating Dayshen's death as a gang related crime rather than a hate crime.

His death was thought by witness Diane Fatigati to be both a hate crime and a murder.

Community Response

Reverend Al Sharpton believes that Dayshen's death was involved hate crimes and said “We will call on the federal government to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.”

A protest is being held on June 4, 2016 called Demand Justice For Dayshen McKenzie #Black Lives Matter at 970 Richmond Ave, Staten Island, New York 10314 at 6pm.

Dayshen's older brother set up a Go Fund Me page to help raise money for Dayshen's funeral.