A second New York City police officer has died after being shot in Harlem on Friday. New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced 27-year-old Wilbert Mora’s death, calling him “3 times a hero.”
“It’s with great sadness I announce the passing of Police Officer Wilbert Mora,” Sewell said Tuesday. “Wilbert is 3 times a hero. For choosing a life of service. For sacrificing his life to protect others. For giving life even in death through organ donation. Our heads are bowed & our hearts are heavy.”
Mora was injured on Friday after responding to a call from a mother in a dispute with her son. Mora and two other officers responded to the residence, where they were shot at while trying to approach a back bedroom.
Fellow officer Jason Rivera, 22, was shot and killed on the scene, while Mora was gravely wounded. Mora was taken to Harlem Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He was later transferred to NYU Langone but remained in critical condition until his death, CBS New reports.
The alleged shooter, 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil, died from his wounds on Monday.
Mora is remembered by family and friends as a bright and humble young man. He joined the NYPD as an officer in 2018 after graduating from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a bachelor’s degree.
“This kid is like a son to me, and his dad is like a brother to me,” family friend Santo Guerrero told CBS New York. “I’m in pain, I’m hurting.”
On Monday night, friends of Mora held a candlelight vigil outside of the NYPD’s 32nd Precint in Mora’s honor.
Download our Free App
For Breaking News & Analysis Download the Free CBS News app
