NY Twin Sisters Attacked, One Killed, After Knife Attack In Brooklyn

By: Renelle Sandiford

On Sunday 17th March 2024, twin sisters, Samyia and Sanyia Spain arrived at a Park Slope deli around 2 a.m. after leaving a gathering at their father’s apartment. The pair left the apartment, accompanied by attendees of the gathering, and went to a bodega seeking refreshments when they were approached by a group of young men.

The young men had allegedly just left a party hall in the vicinity, after attending an event thrown by the Xerxes mafia committee, when they encountered the group at the bodega. The assailant began flirting with the sisters and tried getting Samyia’s contact information but his advances were rejected. He then became irate, which caused the deli workers and the twins’ companions to intervene, getting the group out of the store and locking the doors. 

The group spent some time in the deli, giving the young men some time to disperse and for lingering tensions to subside. Unbeknownst to them, the group of men were waiting for their departure. Once the deli doors were unlocked and the group made their way outside, they encountered the group again, but this time the assailant was brandishing a knife and threatening to harm them.

An exchange occurred, then the assailant pushed Samyia to the ground, causing her phone to fall. Her twin sister, Sanyia tried grabbing the phone and was subsequently stabbed in hand. Their brother, who was among the group, punched the assailant in the face, and then a physical conflict between the groups ensued. During the conflict, Samyia was stabbed in the neck and chest.

The assailant fled on foot, leaving Samyia’s friends and family trying to stop the bleeding while awaiting help from emergency services. The sisters were rushed to New-York Presbyterian where Samyia was pronounced dead.

Five days after the tragic incident, the assailant, identified as 20-year-old Veo Kelly of Stuyvesant Heights, Brooklyn, surrendered himself to authorities after his image began circulating in the media. He is facing charges of criminal possession of a weapon, assault, and murder. His arrest was eagerly anticipated, however, it hasn’t brought the Spain family much solace, as they are trying to make arrangements for 19-year-old Samyia’s funeral. 

An article by Adria R. Walker, published in The Guardian newspaper explained that ‘rejection killings’ are not widely tracked and are typically included in domestic/intimate partner violence statistics. Therefore, it’s hard to find statistics that accurately reflect this type of incident. 

Women of New York have grown used to finding ways to protect themselves against violence from men. This includes but isn’t limited to taking self-defense classes, wearing Smart accessories that alert authorities when pressed, keeping pepper spray in hand, and even walking in the middle of the street instead of sidewalks late at night. These measures are taken because of the frequency of violent attacks against women in this city.