The family of a Gay 19-year-old man believes his death was a “hate crime” after he was found shot dead on a Brooklyn, New York railroad track.
DeAndre Matthews’s death is strange, but his family continues to seek answers about what happened.
DeAndre’s mother, Danielle Matthews, said she knew something was wrong when her son went missing on February 7, 2023. Danielle’s son was using her vehicle when she tracked the vehicle 10 minutes away from where she and her son lived using the SUV’S tracking function. When Danielle arrived, she noticed a dark tinge inside her window and called the police.
Danielle told ABC News that when police opened the door, smoke was coming out of the backseat of the car.
Hours later, police received a 911 call about a body on the train tracks near Nostrand Avenue in Flatbush, just a few miles away from where Danielle’s SUV was found. Police located the body and were later able to identify the body as that of 19-year-old DeAndre Matthews. There were several injuries to his body.
According to a police report, DeAndre had burns throughout his body, a headshot wound, and signs of smoke inhalation.
Paramedics pronounced DeAndre dead on the scene.
According to the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, DeAndre’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head with Perforation of the skull and brain. Therefore, the manner of death was a homicide.
Danielle believes her son’s killing was a hate crime because of the severity of his injuries and the fact that he was gay. She also believes her son was introduced to his killer on the internet because he sometimes met new people online.
DeAndre is so gullible. My baby trusted everybody and I hate that about him, Danielle Matthews said. DeAndre thought nobody would harm him.
No arrests have been made.
