By Peter A. Sutters Jr.
The shooting took place at The Fantastic International Unisex Barber Shop at 232-12 Merrick Blvd. Tuesday afternoon just before 4:30 p.m., according to police. The victim, Jayayo Shruggs of 233rd Street in Laurelton, was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS, police said. He was believed to be in his 20s, but police did not have an exact age.No arrests had been made as of Wednesday morning in connection with the shooting and there were no suspects at that time, said police, who were investigating.According to a source close to the investigation, two cars were pursued by police leaving the scene of the shooting and they caught up with one car in Howard Beach. The source said it was unclear whether the driver was the shooter or a customer in the barbershop. The man was questioned but not arrested, the source said. Business owners on the block were surprised by the shooting and described the neighborhood as a safe place.”It's very surprising,” said Jack Kerns, whose son owns Laurelton Cycle on the same block. “It's the only (shooting) I've heard of in a hell of a long time.” The bike shop has been in the family for three generations dating back to 1928.”It's a pretty quite neighborhood,” said Anna Martinez, who owns A&G Wine and Liquor and lives upstairs from the barbershop. Martinez said a customer came into her store and told her that someone had been shot two times at the barber shop. “It's surprising to us because we don't have these things happening out here,” said Joseph Bolasingh, a broker at Vere Realty Corp., which is next store to the barbershop. Bolasingh said he left the office for a couple of hours in the afternoon and when he came back police were all over the block and the area was taped off. He said he heard from someone later that Shruggs was playing a video game when someone walked in and shot him twice.The barbershop was closed Wednesday morning. Reach reporter Peter Sutters Jr. by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
