In a tragic incident that underscores the dangers of community violence, a Staten Island mother lost her life defending her 12-year-old daughter from a chaotic street altercation involving 20 women and girls. Jennira Roundtree, 43, succumbed to fatal injuries after being stabbed in the heart and lungs and slashed with an umbrella outside her NYCHA residence on Henderson Avenue on January 7.
The altercation reportedly began when a group targeted Roundtree’s young daughter, escalating into a brawl that drew in bystanders and family members. Roundtree intervened to protect her child, but the confrontation turned deadly. Jasmin Thompson, 20, has since been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and assault. Thompson claims she acted in self-defense during the altercation.
Witness accounts paint a chaotic scene, with neighbors recalling the fight spilling out into the street. A 30-year-old neighbor described running downstairs to intervene only to find Roundtree gravely injured. “I saw her on the ground, bleeding,” the neighbor recounted. “She could barely speak, just saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’” Despite efforts to save her, Roundtree was pronounced dead at Richmond University Medical Center…