​From streetball in Brooklyn to college hoops at Fairleigh Dickinson and a professional career across 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.
It is hard to fathom why he became a victim of gun violence at the Kingdome Basketball tournament in Harlem on Friday, where he was there to support his teammates. “He went there, and I was expecting him to come back home,” his mother recalled. On Sunday evening, hundreds gathered in Brooklyn’s Wingate Park to honor him, releasing balloons and surrounding his mother, brother, and sister with love. The triplet siblings—now down by one—shared a bond that felt unbreakable.
“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, who also found his own path in basketball before injuries led him to become his brother’s fiercest supporter. “But I got injured, and I became his number one supporter,” he added. Wingate Park, the place where Kinu grew up playing basketball, is where the community got to know him best. Now, those who are proud of his accomplishments 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 searching for the shooter, who also wounded two other people. Yet Kinu Rochford’s family and the surrounding community remain steady, hopeful that the person responsible will be brought to justice.
“This is what we try to teach 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 lamented.
As the community continues to mourn, many remember Kinu not only for his on-court prowess but for the warmth of his personality, the bridges he built across continents, and the enduring impact of his generosity and leadership. From his beginnings in Brooklyn to a global basketball journey, Kinu Rochford’s legacy remains a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes and families seeking resilience in the face of senseless violence.