Tears And Anger At Hoboken Meeting In Wake Of Scholar Athlete's Death

HOBOKEN, NJ — Neighbors and relatives of the late Damon Murray, 21 — who was shot to death in the city's public housing projects on Sunday — came to Wednesday's Hoboken council meeting to say that their pleas for help, security, and support have been ignored by city officials.

Hoboken's public housing buildings are located in the southwest part of town. Residents asked for the return of a police precinct that used to be there.

"I lost my nephew," said Murray's uncle. "His smile was the brightest thing I know. Our family's going through it. I came to you, I asked for help. I told you this would happen. Didn't know it was going to be my nephew though. See the people behind me? They got kids growing up, just like my nephew. I don't want them making a speech."

"I just want to ask y'all, do you all know what it feels like to have that phone call of your brother dead?" said former teammate Ezaria King. "Do you all know what that phone call is, to have your brother gone the next minute, after just speaking to him?"

"Do you know what it feels like to have roaches roaming around your apartment, to have rats roaming around your apartment?" he continued. "Do you know what it feels like to smell piss in the incinerator? Do you all know any of that feeling? But I bet if you ask anyone standing right behind me, they'll say yes."

Adults and even a middle school student said that they had been asking city officials for many years for recreation teen programs, and that for some reason, all of these requests have been ignored.

As of today, the city's recreation department has not yet announced its summer programming, including for teens.

"We Didn't Do Enough'

"I'm sorry this happened to all of us, that this continues to happen in this community," said 4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos Jr., who grew up in the public housing neighborhood. "Look in the mirror. We didn't do good enough."

Ramos echoed past complaints that problems in the city's public housing are often ignored.

He said the city shouldn't focus on a "f---ing $500,000 art project that I don't give a sh-t about." (See story here.)

He said that kind of money could be put toward a police precinct.

"We need to prioritize this community that's never prioritized," said Councilman Michael Russo, who, like Ramos, represents the city's west side.

To his eight council colleagues, Russo said, "Ruben and I beg you for things...start making significant changes. Don't touch around the edges. Let's get aggressive."

RELATED: City Hall Postpones Festival In Southwest Part Of Town

Russo suggested that when the housing projects are renovated, perhaps some could be closer to the city's police headquarters on Hudson Street, "So that some of our residents could have waterfront property...Let's make bold changes. Let's make bold decisions."

Watch the meeting here.