A man working on a Law & Order set in New York City was fatally shot in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The man, a Queens native whose identity has not been disclosed, had been working to reserve parking spots for the series shoot in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, police told ABC 7 News. He was sitting in a car with an orange cone on top of it at around 5:15 a.m. EST when the gunman approached him, opened the car door, and opened fire several times.
While overall crime rates are on the rise in New York City, NYPD statistics indicate that gun violence is decreasing. In May, the city saw 118 shootings, down over 30 percent from the amount reported in May 2021. A little over 2,000 gun arrests have been made in the city this year, with over 3,000 firearms being seized.
The unnamed victim was struck in the face and neck. He was transported to nearby Woodhull Hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead.
The gunman was able to flee the scene before police arrived. He was described as wearing black pants and a black hoodie with a slim build.
It is unclear to police at this time if the victim and the shooter knew each other. ABC 7 reported that the victim had several prior arrests on his record that had been sealed. An earlier report from NY Daily News indicated that the victim was also providing security for the set.
"It happened so quick, too fast. I don't even know who would do this or why or what," another security guard working the set told NY Daily News. "It was quiet. [There was] just a pop and the dude ran. I looked out my side mirror window and I seen him running towards Nassau."
A spokesperson for NBC and Universal Television confirmed to Deadline that the victim was a crew member on the set. It is unlikely that the set was active at the time of the shooting, according to NBC New York. No other individuals working for the production were harmed.
Three Law & Order series are currently airing: Law & Order, the original series that first ran from 1990 to 2010 and returned for new seasons in February; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a spin-off series focused on sex crimes that has been airing continuously since 1999; and, Law & Order: Organized Crime, the newest spin-off series, which premiered in 2021.
According to NY Daily News, the set that the victim was working for was Law & Order: Organized Crime.
"We were terribly saddened and shocked to hear that one of our crew members was the victim of a crime early this morning and has died as a result," NBC and Universal Television said in a statement to Deadline. "We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time."
Newsweek reached out to Wolf Entertainment, the longtime production company behind Law & Order, for comment.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
