Latest news with #Mette
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
New suspect surrenders in stray bullet shooting slay of Harlem grandmother
A gunman wanted for mistakenly killing a beloved Harlem grandmother with a stray bullet surrendered to cops Monday morning, a police official said. Ricky Shelby showed up with a lawyer at the Manhattan District Attorney's office and was then taken to the 28th Precinct stationhouse, near where the shooting happened, to be processed, police sources said. Shelby, 23, is expected to be charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly opening fire last Tuesday night on Lenox Ave. near W. 113th St. Police say he shot and wounded his intended target, Darious Smith, 23, but a stray slug hit 61-year-old Excenia Mette in the head, killing her. The accused killer opened fire after Smith shot at him but hit nobody, according to cops. Smith, struck in the foot when the killer returned fire, took off on an electric scooter. Cops chased him down and nabbed him a few blocks away. He is charged with attempted murder. Mette had stepped out of a hair salon to check on her grandson after hearing a commotion outside. The grandson was not involved in the clash. Mette was a longtime member of the National Action Network and former owner of Momma Zee's Food to Plez on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd,, which she said was the first woman and Black-owned bodega in New York City since 1987.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hooligan whose alleged gunfight led to death of Harlem community pillar ‘Momma Zee' was out on bail in slashing case
A hooligan whose reckless gunfight allegedly led to the tragic death of beloved Harlem community pillar Excenia Mette was out on bail in a slashing case when the senseless shooting unfolded, The Post has learned. Darious Smith, 23, pulled a white Tyvek suit over his face as he was pushed in a wheelchair into a Manhattan courthouse Thursday to face charges of attempted murder and criminal possession of a firearm for Mette's death. Sources said Smith is believed to have exchanged shots with the still-at-large gunman whose stray bullet hit Mette in the head as she selflessly rushed outside to check on her grandson Tuesday night. Smith was shot in the foot during the scuffle. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Kacie Lally ordered Smith to be jailed without bail — an outcome he dodged the last time he stood accused of a violent crime. 'This is what's making our job harder,' Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday during an event about taking illegal guns off the streets. 'When you allow those who have recidivism, continuous violence in our city to continue to walk the streets,' he said. 'Criminal justice system includes police, judiciary, and legislators. They all must be engaged on the same path.' Records show Smith was arrested in June 2024 after he allegedly slashed two people with a box cutter on Lenox Avenue near West 118th Street while he tried to steal e-bike batteries. When he was arraigned on robbery and assault charges, prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office requested bail at $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond, records show. But Judge Michael Ryan set it at $10,000, which Smith posted — allowing him to walk free ahead of his scheduled May trial, sources said. Smith lived just a block away from Mette's former business, Momma Zee's Food to Plez Deli, which was the first black woman-owned bodega in the city when she opened it in the 1980s. Loved ones and neighbors gathered Thursday at a makeshift shrine in front of Mette's home at West 113th Street and Lenox Avenue, where she was shot. They hung up a photo of Mette, whom they affectionately knew as 'Momma Zee' or 'Zeenie,' frolicking on a beach. Neighbor Barbara Johnson, 66, said she wasn't surprised one of the shooters is an accused repeat offender. 'They need to do something for the youth, to keep them occupied, give them something to do, something to look forward to,' she said. 'Idle hands is the Devil's workshop.' 'No system devised to keep the people down will do anything to help us up, and that's from the beginning, the first day of this country.' Adams, speaking to PIX11 Wednesday night, instead blamed the criminal justice system for allowing Smith to be out on the streets. 'Public safety is a criminal justice apparatus that includes police, that includes judges, that includes lawmakers. The police are doing their job,' he said. 'When you have a person with repeated violence, just last year, he was arrested for robbery, stabbing two people. Now he's back on the street, involved in a shooting that took the life of an innocent woman. We have to have the other parts of the criminal justice system do their job.' City Councilman Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan) — who represents the Harlem neighborhood and chairs the council's public safety committee — issued a heartfelt remembrance of Mette, and blamed the violence in part on systemic failures. 'Harlem is in mourning for Mette, who fed the community, stood beside the youth and gave back through service with leaders such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and the artist Jim Jones,' Salaam said. 'This act of violence — the result of reckless and deadly conflict on our streets — is yet another painful reminder that we are in the midst of a public safety crisis,' he said. 'It is a crisis rooted not just in crime, but in a long history of disinvestment, lack of opportunity, and the systemic failures that continue to plague our neighborhoods.' Other lawmakers representing the area focused on gun prevention efforts, such as Assemblyman Jordan Wright (D-Manhattan), who called it a reminder 'of how imperative it is to get guns off of our streets.' 'We have to continue fighting hard together to find solutions,' added state Sen. Cordelle Cleare (D-Manhattan) in a statement. 'Now is not the time for resources to be cut.' Video footage showed a man matching Smith's description ride a scooter toward a group of people, pull a gun and fire two shots, court papers state. Police believe the second suspect then grabbed a gun of his own and fired off the shots that wounded Smith and killed Mette, law-enforcement sources have said. Smith allegedly rode the scooter along West 113th Street before he collided with an NYPD cop who tried to stop him, the court docs state. He ran away onto St. Nicholas Avenue, where he threw a 9-millimeter pistol to the sidewalk, the papers state. Sources said eight bullets were found at the fatal shooting scene. Smith's high-profile criminal defense attorney Dawn Florio claimed in court that four cops beat him with a guns and a Taser, in addition to his gunshot wound. She asked for medical attention for Smith and griped that him being connected with the shooting is causing problems for his loved ones. 'My client's family who lives in the neighborhood is getting threatened,' she said. — Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden and Hannah Fierick
New York Post
24-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Blame NY's thug-loving progs for the death of innocent bystanders like ‘Momma Zee'
The killing of Excenia 'Momma Zee' Mette stands as a double tragedy: A family — and community — lost a cherished member. And progressives lost one of the very people they claim to be looking out for, thanks to their own foolish policies. Mette was a beloved Harlem bodega-owner and respected community leader. She had recently attended the Rev. Al Sharpton National Action Network's annual convention. Tuesday night, Mette was caught in a deadly gang crossfire and fatally shot in the head when she ran outside to look for her grandson after hearing gunshots. Advertisement New York simply failed to protect her — because its laws, prosecutors and judges leave violent gunmen out on the streets, free to terrorize. They send the message that thugs will pay no price for their heinous deeds. Now Mette's shattered family and neighbors are crying, 'When is it going to stop?' Advertisement Sadly, it won't. Not until progressives put the rights and safety of law-abiding minorities (and others) above the interests of criminal minorities. Indeed, by Wednesday afternoon, just hours after Mette was killed, another innocent bystander — this time 28-year-old plumber's apprentice Marji Daoud, of Yonkers — was also fatally shot in the head when four men opened fire in The Bronx. Don't think such madness is inevitable: Tools like the Shotspotter, the gang database, 'broken windows' policing and other more can do wonders to keep streets safe, but they've been targets of the city and state's progressives. Advertisement Thug-coddling Democrats in the Legislature have resisted sensible fixes that could put violent sociopaths and recidivist gunmen behind bars. And judges and prosecutors have gone soft. Darious Smith, a suspect in the gunfire that led to Momma Zee's death, was out on bail at the time, facing charges he slashed two people with a box cutter. Judge Michael Ryan had lowered the prosecutor's request for $50,000 in bail to just $10,000. 'The police are doing their job. We have to have the other parts of the criminal justice system do their job,' fumed Mayor Eric Adams. Fact is, there's a direct link between these latest killings, pro-crime judges and district attorneys and soft-on-crime laws (cashless bail, Raise the Age, 'discovery' statutes that free perps on technicalities, etc.). Advertisement On Thursday, Mayor Adams made a big show of destroying over 3,500 illegal guns used in violent crimes — but the mayor knows it means nothing if you don't jail the thugs holding the gun. Progressives are steadfastly opposed to that. Their priority is protecting the perps. And too bad for victims like Momma Zee and Marji Daoud. Too bad for victims of color. New Yorkers should remember that Momma Zee's blood is on the hands of every progressive Democrat in Albany and City Hall. Communities like Harlem need to rise up and shout: Enough is enough. And then take their anger with them to the voting booth.
New York Post
24-04-2025
- New York Post
Hooligan whose alleged gunfight led to death of Harlem community pillar ‘Momma Zee' was out on bail in slashing case
A hooligan whose reckless gunfight allegedly led to the tragic death of beloved Harlem community pillar Excenia Mette was out on bail in a slashing case when the senseless shooting unfolded, The Post has learned. Darious Smith, 23, pulled a white Tyvek suit over his face as he was pushed in a wheelchair into a Manhattan courthouse Thursday to face charges of attempted murder and criminal possession of a firearm for Mette's death. Sources said Smith is believed to have exchanged shots with the still-at-large gunman whose stray bullet hit Mette in the head as she selflessly rushed outside to check on her grandson Tuesday night. Smith was shot in the foot during the scuffle. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Kacie Lally ordered Smith to be jailed without bail — an outcome he dodged the last time he stood accused of a violent crime. 'This is what's making our job harder,' Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday during an event about taking illegal guns off the streets. 'When you allow those who have recidivism, continuous violence in our city to continue to walk the streets,' he said. 'Criminal justice system includes police, judiciary, and legislators. They all must be engaged on the same path.' Records show Smith was arrested in June 2024 after he allegedly slashed two people with a box cutter on Lenox Avenue near West 118th Street while he tried to steal e-bike batteries. When he was arraigned on robbery and assault charges, prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office requested bail at $50,000 cash or $150,000 bond, records show. 3 A reckless gunfight allegedly caused by Darious Smith, 23, led to the tragic death of beloved Harlem community pillar Excenia Mette. Excenia Mette/Facebook But Judge Michael Ryan set it at $10,000, which Smith posted — allowing him to walk free ahead of his scheduled May trial, sources said. Smith lived just a block away from Mette's former business, Momma Zee's Food to Plez Deli, which was the first black woman-owned bodega in the city when she opened it in the 1980s. Loved ones and neighbors gathered Thursday at a makeshift shrine in front of Mette's home at West 113th Street and Lenox Avenue, where she was shot. They hung up a photo of Mette, whom they affectionately knew as 'Momma Zee' or 'Zeenie,' frolicking on a beach. Neighbor Barbara Johnson, 66, said she wasn't surprised one of the shooters is an accused repeat offender. 3 The Post has learned that the alleged shooting suspect was out on bail in a slashing case when the senseless shooting unfolded, while also suffering a shot to the foot. 'They need to do something for the youth, to keep them occupied, give them something to do, something to look forward to,' she said. 'Idle hands is the Devil's workshop.' 'No system devised to keep the people down will do anything to help us up, and that's from the beginning, the first day of this country.' Adams, speaking to PIX11 Wednesday night, instead blamed the criminal justice system for allowing Smith to be out on the streets. 'Public safety is a criminal justice apparatus that includes police, that includes judges, that includes lawmakers. The police are doing their job,' he said. 3 Smith allegedly slashed two people with a box cutter while he tried to steal e-bike batteries nearly a year before the tragic shooting. Robert Miller 'When you have a person with repeated violence, just last year, he was arrested for robbery, stabbing two people. Now he's back on the street, involved in a shooting that took the life of an innocent woman. We have to have the other parts of the criminal justice system do their job.' City Councilman Yusef Salaam (D-Manhattan) — who represents the Harlem neighborhood and chairs the council's public safety committee — issued a heartfelt remembrance of Mette, and blamed the violence in part on systemic failures. 'Harlem is in mourning for Mette, who fed the community, stood beside the youth and gave back through service with leaders such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and the artist Jim Jones,' Salaam said. 'This act of violence — the result of reckless and deadly conflict on our streets — is yet another painful reminder that we are in the midst of a public safety crisis,' he said. 'It is a crisis rooted not just in crime, but in a long history of disinvestment, lack of opportunity, and the systemic failures that continue to plague our neighborhoods.' Other lawmakers representing the area focused on gun prevention efforts, such as Assemblyman Jordan Wright (D-Manhattan), who called it a reminder 'of how imperative it is to get guns off of our streets.' 'We have to continue fighting hard together to find solutions,' added state Sen. Cordelle Cleare (D-Manhattan) in a statement. 'Now is not the time for resources to be cut.' Video footage showed a man matching Smith's description ride a scooter toward a group of people, pull a gun and fire two shots, court papers state. Police believe the second suspect then grabbed a gun of his own and fired off the shots that wounded Smith and killed Mette, law-enforcement sources have said. Smith allegedly rode the scooter along West 113th Street before he collided with an NYPD cop who tried to stop him, the court docs state. He ran away onto St. Nicholas Avenue, where he threw a 9-millimeter pistol to the sidewalk, the papers state. Sources said eight bullets were found at the fatal shooting scene. Smith's high-profile criminal defense attorney Dawn Florio claimed in court that four cops beat him with a guns and a Taser, in addition to his gunshot wound. She asked for medical attention for Smith and griped that him being connected with the shooting is causing problems for his loved ones. 'My client's family who lives in the neighborhood is getting threatened,' she said. — Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden and Hannah Fierick
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Wounded gunman charged with attempted murder in stray bullet shooting of Harlem grandmother
A young shooter wounded in a gunfight that killed an innocent Harlem community leader stepping out of her building to check on her grandson has been charged with attempted murder, cops said Thursday. Darious Smith, 23, is also facing gun possession charges for the Tuesday night shooting outside Tamara's Beauty Bar, a salon on Lenox Ave. near W. 113th St. Smith was arguing with a man about 10:20 p.m. when he allegedly whipped out a gun and opened fire at his rival but hit no one. His rival pulled out a gun and fired back, hitting Smith in the foot and striking Excenia Mette, 61, in the head with a stray bullet, cops said. Mette, a longtime member of the National Action Network and former owner of Momma Zee's Food to Plez on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd,, which she said was the first woman and Black-owned bodega in New York City since 1987, was checking on her grandson when she was caught in the crossfire. 'She was intending to see where her grandson was as the rounds started to let go on the street,' NYPD Capt. James Whitlock, commanding officer of the 28th Precinct, said Wednesday at the scene of the shooting. Mette died after being rushed to Mount Sinai Morningside, cops said. The wounded Smith hobbled off but was arrested about a block away. His arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending Thursday. Smith was already about to go to trial on robbery and assault charges for allegedly stabbing two people during an e-bike battery theft. About 10:25 p.m. last June 12, Smith allegedly stole the battery from someone he cut in the lower back with a box cutter just four blocks up Lenox Ave. from Tuesday's gunfight. He also sliced a witness in the thumb, according to prosecutors. He was arrested that day and later released on $10,000 bail.
