17-year-old honors student Nyasia Pryear-Yard shot while dancing at Brooklyn club

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A 17-year-old Catholic school honor student and aspiring model was shot dead early Sunday as she danced in a Brooklyn teen club.

Twoother teens were grazed by bullets during the 3:15 a.m. melee and copswere investigating whether rival gangs were responsible for the gunplayinvolved, sources said.

Nyasia Pryear-Yard, a straight-A seniorat Nazareth Regional High School, was hit in the neck in Elks Plaza onFulton St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant, police and relatives said.

"Shewas a gifted child," her father, Alberto Yard, 40, a court officer inKings County civil court said before exploding in tears.

"Theykilled my baby! They killed my baby!" he sobbed, collapsing on thesidewalk outside Brooklyn Hospital Center. Nyasia was pronounced deadat the hospital around 4 a.m.

Cops continued to hunt for herkiller Sunday night as relatives and fellow court officers consoled Yardand Nyasia's devastated mother, Jennifer Pryear.

Relatives blamedthe shooting on gang rivalries and said Bloods gang members unleashedthe violence because they were elbowed out of event on a lucrativeholiday weekend.

"The Bloods were angry that they didn't get thespace. So they targeted the party to shoot it up," said Michael Miller,the slain teen's uncle. "That is word on the street."

The two other injured teens, Barron Mays, 17, and Imah Stevenson, 18, were in stable condition at Kings County Hospital.

Elks Plaza club is geared toward the underage set and advertises that patrons don't need identification.

Nyasia'scousin Janesha Grant, 18, who was with her at the club, said bouncerswere frisking patrons as they entered - but let some partygoers passwithout being checked.

Property records show the building at 1068Fulton St. is owned by Raymond Patterson of Brooklyn. Patterson couldnot be reached for comment. According to Grant, the party was sponsoredby a promoter known as GQ Shottaz, who also could not be reached Sundaynight.

Before things turned violent, Nyasia was having a greattime dancing to reggae music, Grant said. But then she heard severalteenage boys threatening to open fire. She was trying to warn clubowners when bullets began to fly.

"All I hear is, 'Pa-pow! Pa-pow!'" Grant said. "Everybody scatters."

Grant rushed back to make sure her cousin was okay, only to watch her fall to the floor.

"They said they had a pulse. Then they didn't have it anymore," she said.

Itwas unclear if there was more than one shooter, said cops, who arereviewing surveillance tapes and interviewing employees and partygoers.

Relatives described Nyasia as a bright girl who loved fashion.

"Shewas a star student," said her aunt Janet Grant, 41, a cab dispatcher."The worst thing she probably ever did in her life was go to thisparty."

Janet Grant said she doubts Nyasia was the target.

"I'm sure no one wanted to shoot her. She's just lovable - a kid!" she said.

Nyasia split her time between her father's and mother's East New York homes.

Relatives said she planned to go to college in the fall and was waiting to hear back from several schools.

"That girl's been getting scholarships since she was a little kid," cousin Shavon Miller said.