"Aye yo miss, lemme get pork fried rice wit four chicken wings; fried hard and chopped up—ketchup, barbecue and hot sauce. Don't forget to put duck sauce in the bag! Last time you forgot!"

Flickering street lamps and police floodlights on the outskirts of the Gowanus Houses illuminate Hoyt Street. White candles tied with red bandanas beside empty Henny bottles surround an 8x10 photo of a baby-faced male positioned on the side wall of Mohammed's Deli. Officers walk their beat. A crowd forms in front of the deli. Staying in their lane, the beat cops move along with their patrol. People in and out of the corner store gaze at the memorial...