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Community mourns the loss of beloved basketball star Kinu Rochford, killed in shooting From streetball in Brooklyn to college ball at Fairleigh Dickinson to the pros in nine countries, 35-year-old Kinu Rochford was a respected talent and a radiant personality.
Monday, July 13, 2026 3:16AMFrom streetball in Brooklyn to college ball at Fairleigh Dickinson to the pros in nine countries, 35-year-old Kinu Rochford was a respected talent and a radiant personality.
"I had somebody reach out to me from England, from France, even Jamaica.
Somebody called me from Portugal.
These are the places that he played, and everybody is reaching out, and nobody has anything negative or bad to say about Kinu," said his mother, Eden Rochford."He went there, and I was expecting him to come back home," his mother said.
On Sunday evening, hundreds turned out to honor him in Brooklyn's Wingate Park, letting go of balloons and lovingly overwhelming his mother, brother and sister.
Triplet siblings - now down by one."Even though he played overseas, we had our separate time apart and everything.
But it's like, three strands of a rope can never be broken.
We're tethered by soul," said his brother, Kairo Rochford.
Wingate Park is the park where he grew up playing basketball, and a community got to know him.Now, those he made so proud of his success are feeling the weight of his loss." "This is the type of effect that he had with the community, and the people, because he was a positive man.
A positive brother.
And we're going to miss him," said family friend Malcolm Thomas.
Police are still looking for the shooter, who injured two other people.Kinu Rochford's family and the community surrounding them with strength, have faith that the person responsible will be brought to justice."This is what we try to get through to these youngsters, to put the guns down.
It's very essential.
Gun violence is tearing the streets up," said Leon Neblett of Elite Learners, an Anti-Violence organization."Kinu's name should be known.
He died unnecessarily.
And it's not fair.
It's not right," his mother said.