Police are looking for the suspect behind a deadly Harlem smoke shop shooting on Sunday that claimed a man’s life.
According to police sources, two customers inside of a smoke shop on 304 Lenox Ave. had a verbal altercation at around 8 p.m. on April 9.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that the argument turned deadly when the perpetrator produced a firearm behind the back of a 36-year-old man and shot him in the head.
Following the shooting, police noted, the gunman took off on foot in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 28th Precinct responded to the incident. The victim was rushed to Harlem Hospital by EMS where he was pronounced dead.
The NYPD cordoned-off the shop while detectives investigated the brutal killing that left some locals weeping.
It was the latest act of violence inside a smoke shop in New York City this year. Last month, a man was gunned down at a similar location in Richmond Hill, Queens.
To combat violence, Mayor Eric Adams has deployed a multi-agency task force led by the sheriff’s office to inspect these storefronts. In March, Council Member Nantasha Williams lauded the sheriff’s office for seizing some 754 packages of tobacco products, 2,264 flavored vape products, 397 THC vapes, 2,108 packages of THC flower weighing a total of 51 lbs., and 290 THC edible products weighing 28.5 lbs. within the confines of the 105 Precinct.
“We will continue in our efforts to enforce the Mayor’s vision of a safe and healthy city by enforcing the rules and regulations mandating the sales and licensing of cannabis products. As a result of the Mayor’s plan, the Sheriff’s Joint Compliance Task Force conducted a citywide business inspection,” Sheriff Anthony Miranda said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Sunday’s shooting in Harlem remains ongoing. On Monday morning, the NYPD released video footage of the suspected shooter.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, on Twitter @NYPDTips.
Read more: Man Shot in Harlem on April 11, 2023
