THE BRONX (PIX11) — A familiar call to prayer under the most unusual circumstances. Inside the Futa Islamic Center in the Bronx, a Monday night prayer service was held in honor of 11-year-old Alfa Barrie, whose body was recovered from the Hudson River Saturday.
He is the son of immigrants from the West African country of Guinea. Barrie’s older brother remembered him as a sweet and curious boy with his sights set on an engineering career.
“This is the like the worst thing I ever went through in my life up to this date,” said Ibrahim Diallo.
Barrie went missing in Harlem on May 12 – last seen on surveillance video walking with 13-year-old Garret Warren.
Police recovered Warren’s body from the Harlem River on Thursday.
Because of the river’s changing currents, investigators said it is plausible that Barrie fell into the water on Manhattan’s east side even though his body was recovered on the west side of Manhattan.
“His teachers share that their classroom is not the same since Alfa’s passing. We had a little family; you can tell he is not here. Alfa is dearly missed and we honor his life by keeping his memory alive,” Barrie’s school said in a statement.
Law enforcement sources told PIX11 News detectives spoke with a third boy, who said Barrie and Warren were roughhousing near the Harlem River on May 12 when Warren allegedly pushed Barrie into the water but then also slipped and fell in right after Barrie.
Barrie’s family said they didn’t know how close the boys were because they went to different schools and lived in different boroughs.
“Our sympathy goes out to the other family. The very first time the family learned about the other boy was on the police investigation,” said Ahmadou Diallo.
