By Ivan Pereira
An apparent argument that started between two motorists and escalated on a Hollis street ended fatally for one man Sunday afternoon, police and eyewitnesses said.
A man in a Nissan got into a verbal fight with another driver and the two stopped their vehicles at 199th Street between Murdoch and 115th avenues around 2:30 p.m., a witness said.
The two drivers allegedly got into a fist fight in which the victim had the upper hand. The Nissan driver retaliated by shooting the unidentified 20-year-old driver of the other car in the face and fleeing the scene, according to the eyewitness.
The shots rang out loudly on the block and residents emptied out of their homes to see what was going on, only to find the dead man’s body lying in the middle of the street.
“It was bad,” said Zipporah Shorts, 28, who lived near the crime scene. “His whole face was covered in blood.”
Police cordoned off the entire block and searched for clues well into the evening.
No suspects were named and there had been no arrests as of press time Monday morning.
The victim’s family came to the scene to see the body and broke down at the sight, according to Shorts.
The mother of a 9-year-old boy said she did not know who the victim was and did not think he lived on the block since she and her neighbors know one another.
“Everyone talks on the block, we’re all nice. I do feel scared,” she said. “This is senseless.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, text their tips to 274637 then enter TIP577 or log on to nypdcrimestoppers.com. All reports will be kept confidential.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
