Queens Intersection to Honor Newtown Victim

A New York City street is being renamed in honor of a 6-year-old boy who was killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December.

Benjamin Wheeler was born in Queens and his parents, both performers, left behind stage careers in the city and moved the family to Newtown when Benjamin was a baby, the New York Daily News reports.

While the family moved to Connecticut, Benjamin’s parents, Francine and David Wheeler, frequently brought their son back to a Queens park to play with neighborhood children and Ben's mother had started a networking group for families.

Officials are planning a ceremony on September 7 to rename the intersection of 41st Street and Queens Boulevard as "Benjamin Wheeler Place."
   
City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer said the community feels "a lot of love for the Wheelers."

 He and U.S. Rep Joseph Crowley are joining local residents in planning the event.

 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us