A gun-wielding suspect killed a Bronx man at his residence around noon Tuesday and then “accidentally killed himself” when trying to flee the scene down the stairs of the apartment building, tripping and taking his own life. , reported police sources and relatives.
An altercation between the two subjects broke out at the apartment located on Rev. James A. Polite Avenue near E. 163rd Street in Longwood at 12:30 p.m., officials said.
The 28-year-old gunman fatally shot a 32-year-old apartment resident in the head and grazed another 56-year-old neighbor on the cheek on the fifth floor of the apartment building.
The criminal fled the scene, quickly going up the stairs, authorities said. When the gunman reached the third floor, the pants that were falling off him tripped him and, according to an investigator, he fell with his finger still on the trigger of the gun and shot himself in the neck.
“It was an accidental murder/suicide,” a police source revealed. “He shoots the guy, runs down the stairs, trips and shoots himself.”
A woman who also lives in the apartment said she received a call in the afternoon notifying her that the site had become a crime scene.
“My landlord called me and told me someone had been shot,” she said. “It happened in my apartment. It could have been me.”
The 56-year-old man, who requested anonymity out of fear for his safety, said he was in his bedroom when he heard a scuffle and then a gunshot. He forced the door because his roommate was dead in front of her, he added.
“I had shot him [a la víctima] and he was running next to me when i opened the door [del dormitorio]said the man. “He came back and shot me. I went down.”
The victim said the shooter fled the scene, leaving him with a scratch on his right cheek and his roommate fatally wounded, the Daily News reported.
“I saw spatters of blood,” he explained. “His chest was covered in blood. The body [de la víctima] I was blocking the door.”
The man said he saw the suspect dead on the lower stairs shortly after.
“He was on the steps, covered in blood,” he said. “His pants were below his waist. You could see her butt.”
So far, the officers have not confirmed his story and are still investigating the origin of the altercation that led to the bloodshed.
Another resident of the building who also declined to give her name said she heard two shots.
“I heard two big explosions,” the 37-year-old said. “I wasn’t thinking about any of that. … Firecrackers go off here all the time.”
He also stated that neighborhood shootings are common, but gun violence continues to shock the community.
“It’s still amazing because we live here,” he said. “The last time there was a shooting here was early in the morning when the kids were getting on the damn school bus. Seven in the morning. Shots. That’s what makes it scary. There are a lot of shootings here during the day.”
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