--- title: "Trump leaves Long Island speech to console mother of Bronx boy killed by stray bullet" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-leaves-long-island-speech-to-console-mother-of-bronx-boy-killed-by-stray-b" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-leaves-long-island-speech-to-console-mother-of-bronx-boy-killed-by-stray-b" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-leaves-long-island-speech-to-console-mother-of-bronx-boy-killed-by-stray-b.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-leaves-long-island-speech-to-console-mother-of-bronx-boy-killed-by-stray-b" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-15T01:46:08.805Z" source_reported: "2026-08-14T23:20:08.000Z" updated: "2026-08-15T01:46:08.805Z" trust_score: 74 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-15T02:56:10.366Z" --- # Trump leaves Long Island speech to console mother of Bronx boy killed by stray bullet *The president paused a pro-police event to embrace Migdalia Martinez, whose 12-year-old son was shot outside a bodega last month.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 74 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and four digests corroborate the event. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Reports include quotes and specific details. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines emphasize emotional moment. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Jacob Freytes, 12, was killed by a stray bullet outside a Bronx bodega on 25 July 2026 during an altercation involving adult men. - President Trump left the stage during a Long Island speech to embrace Freytes’ mother, Migdalia Martinez, describing the killing as a 'horrible thing'. - The accused shooter, William Ferrer, has a criminal record dating back to 1999 and is charged with second-degree murder. - Martinez hopes for a bill that would impose life without parole for criminals convicted of recklessly or intentionally killing children. President Donald Trump paused a speech at the Nassau County Police Academy on Long Island on 14 August 2026 to console the mother of a 12-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet in the Bronx. Jacob Freytes, known as 'Kai', was shot on 25 July while buying a basketball at a bodega in the Mount Eden neighbourhood. Surveillance footage showed him running into the store after being struck before collapsing. He was pronounced dead at Lincoln Medical Center. The accused shooter, William Ferrer, was arrested within a day of the shooting. Ferrer, 45, has a criminal record dating back to 1999, including arrests for drug possession, drunk-driving and possession of stolen property, as reported by the New York Post. He faces second-degree murder charges. Two other men were injured in the shooting but survived. Freytes’ mother, Migdalia Martinez, told the New York Post she hopes for a future bill that would impose life without parole for criminals convicted of recklessly or intentionally killing children. Trump left the stage during his speech to embrace Martinez, describing the killing as a 'horrible, horrible thing' and vowing to 'go after these sick people'. The New York Post reported that Martinez said the encounter made her feel the country is 'heading in the right direction'. Trump later linked the shooting to New York’s bail reform policies, which Martinez had previously criticised as a system that 'works more for the criminal than they’re gonna work for the victim'. ## What the coverage left out No left- or centre-rated outlet ran this story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the accused shooter’s criminal record, Martinez’s call for a life-without-parole bill, or Trump’s criticism of New York’s bail reform policies. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (7) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-15T02:56:10.366Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-15T04:00:17.379Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - All six right-rated reports led on Trump leaving the stage to console Freytes’ mother. The two full reports, from MEAWW Entertainment and the New York Post, described the encounter as an emotional moment that shifted the focus of the speech. Both quoted Trump’s words: 'Horrible, horrible things. We’re going after these sick people.' The New York Post added that Trump called Martinez and her ex-husband, retired NYPD detective Jesus Freytes, 'incredible people'. - The reports carried the accused shooter’s criminal history. The New York Post listed Ferrer’s previous arrests, including drug possession, drunk-driving and possession of stolen property. MEAWW Entertainment reported that Ferrer was arrested within a day of the shooting. Both full reports quoted Martinez’s hope for a bill that would impose life without parole for criminals convicted of recklessly or intentionally killing children. The New York Post included her quote: 'My son will never be able to enjoy his life. Why should he?' - The New York Post linked the shooting to New York’s bail reform policies, quoting Trump’s criticism of 'Kathy Hochul’s New York' and Martinez’s earlier statement that the system 'works more for the criminal than they’re gonna work for the victim'. MEAWW Entertainment did not mention bail reform. None of the digests from The Gateway Pundit, nytimespost.com, Fox News or WLTReport mentioned Ferrer’s criminal record or Martinez’s call for a new bill. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 2 - mixed: 3 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Politics, Policy, Political News](https://politicom.com.au/president-trump-personally-walks-off-stage-to-comfort-grieving-parents-of-12-year-old-bronx-shooting-victim-video) — President Trump Personally Walks Off Stage to Comfort Grieving Parents of 12-Year-Old Bronx Shooting Victim - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/president-trump-personally-walks-stage-comfort-grieving-parents) — President Trump Personally Walks Off Stage to Comfort Grieving Parents of 12-Year-Old Bronx Shooting Victim * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/trump-leaves-stage-mid-speech-to-embrace-parents-of-12-year-old-killed-by-stray-bullet-in-the-bronx) — Trump leaves stage mid-speech to embrace parents of 12-year-old killed by stray bullet in the Bronx - NEW YORK TIMES POST - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/trump-leaves-stage-mid-speech-embrace-parents-12-year-old-killed-stray-bullet-bronx) — Trump leaves stage mid-speech to embrace parents of 12-year-old killed by stray bullet in the Bronx - [MEAWW Entertainment](https://news.meaww.com/trump-visibly-moved-as-he-leaves-long-island-stage-to-console-kin-of-slain-bronx-boy) — Trump visibly moved as he leaves Long Island stage to console kin of slain Bronx boy - [Just the News](https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/all-things-trump/president-trump-stops-new-york-speech-comfort-parents-12-year-old) — President Trump stops New York speech to comfort parents of 12-year-old killed by stray bullet - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/us-news/trump-embraces-teary-eyed-mom-of-12-year-old-boy-shot-dead-on-nyc-street) — Trump embraces teary-eyed mom of 12-year-old boy shot dead on NYC street - [WLTReport](https://wltreport.com/2026/08/14/watch-president-trump-walks-off-stage-mid-speech-to-comfort-parents-of-young-boy-killed-by-stray-bullet) — President Trump Walks off Stage Mid-Speech to Comfort Parents of Young Boy Killed By Stray Bullet ## Questions **Who was Jacob Freytes?** Jacob Freytes, 12, was a Bronx boy killed by a stray bullet on 25 July 2026 while buying a basketball at a bodega. Surveillance footage showed him running into the store after being shot. He was pronounced dead at Lincoln Medical Center. His mother, Migdalia Martinez, hopes for a bill imposing life without parole for criminals who kill children. **What did Trump say to Freytes’ mother?** President Trump left the stage during a Long Island speech to embrace Migdalia Martinez, describing the killing of her son as a 'horrible, horrible thing'. He vowed to 'go after these sick people'. Martinez told the New York Post the encounter made her feel the country is 'heading in the right direction'. **What is William Ferrer charged with?** William Ferrer, 45, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Jacob Freytes. He has a criminal record dating back to 1999, including arrests for drug possession, drunk-driving and possession of stolen property. He was arrested within a day of the shooting, as reported by the New York Post and MEAWW Entertainment. **Which outlets covered this story?** Six right-rated outlets covered the story: MEAWW Entertainment, the New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, nytimespost.com, Fox News and WLTReport. No left- or centre-rated outlet ran it. The New York Post and MEAWW Entertainment published full reports; the others carried digests. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-leaves-long-island-speech-to-console-mother-of-bronx-boy-killed-by-stray-b. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump leaves Long Island speech to console mother of Bronx boy killed by stray bullet", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-leaves-long-island-speech-to-console-mother-of-bronx-boy-killed-by-stray-b