A key suspect in the killing of a 61-year-old Harlem grandmother struck by a stray bullet last week as she rushed to check on her grandson has turned himself into police, his attorney said Monday.
Ricky Shelby surrendered to authorities at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday morning, attorney Alberto Ebanks told NBC New York. Shelby was wanted by the NYPD in connection to last Tuesday’s crossfire shooting when a bullet hit and killed Excenia Mette, who was affectionately known “Mama Zee” in the neighborhood.
Police previously arrested Darius Smith for allegedly opening fire on Lenox Avenue and West 113th Street, which police say led to the gun battle. Smith faces charges of attempted murder.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC New York showed people at a nearby restaurant scrambled as bullets flew, with some taking cover in a nearby SUV. The video shows a man on a scooter racing away as a bullet just misses him, whizzing past and hitting the road.
Amid the hail of gunfire, Mette rushed from a beauty salon to make sure her grandson was safe, but she was struck in the head by a stray bullet, police said.
“That’s the person that she is. When you’re a protector, when you’re loving like that. When you’re an empath, that’s how you move,” said Makeba Reece. “She died doing what she does: loving and protecting.”
Mette was a local business owner and a beloved fixture in the neighborhood who was known for feeding the hungry and helping anyone in need.
“They took a soul who was very loving. Who supported the community. Who was there, who loved everyone. Who was a matriarch. They’re destroying a community like this,” Reece said.
Mayor Eric Adams went to the scene on Wednesday, calling the shooting a “horrific incident that took the life of a grandmother.”
Police said Mette’s grandson, who she rushed to check on, was not believed to have been involved in the shooting.
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