Law & Order crew member is fatally shot at New York film location

NEW YORK (NYTIMES) - A Brooklyn film location for a ripped-from-the-headlines television crime show became a murder scene early on Tuesday (July 19) when a man who was enforcing parking restrictions connected to the production was fatally shot while he sat in a car, United States police said.

The killing happened on North Henry Street near Norman Avenue in the Greenpoint neighbourhood as a crew working on the show, Law & Order: Organised Crime, was preparing to film on the block, according to police and fliers posted there.

Police identified the victim as Mr Johnny Pizarro, 31, of Queens.

Mr Pizarro, whose job was to make sure the street was clear so that vehicles affiliated with the show could park, was sitting in a car when a lone assailant approached the vehicle, opened the door and shot him in the head and neck, police said.

He was taken to Woodhull Hospital Centre in Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

No arrest had been made and no motive had been established by Tuesday afternoon, police said. A short, thin man in a black hooded sweatshirt and dark pants was seen running from where the shooting occurred, police said.

The killing of a man working in service of a high-profile industry in a relatively safe neighbourhood came at a time of growing unease in some quarters that - despite shootings and murders being down so far this year - New York City is becoming unsafe.

Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain who ran as a crime fighter and continues to make public safety a top priority, has helped feed that perception at times, saying, for instance, that he had "never witnessed crime at this level". (Police data undercuts that characterisation.)

Mr Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Mr Adams, said in a statement that law enforcement would "work diligently to bring the suspect to justice".

"The safety of all New Yorkers is our top priority," Mr Levy said. "No shooting is acceptable."

Reached at his home in Puerto Rico, Mr Pizarro's father, who shares the name Johnny with his son, said he was "shocked" when his daughter called to tell him of the killing.

"No words," the elder Mr Pizarro said, describing how his son had come to visit him two months ago as the men "tried to bring our relationship together".

"This thing is a tragedy," he added.

Law & Order: Organised Crime, which airs on NBC and stars actor Christopher Meloni, is set in New York and draws inspiration from crimes committed in the city.

The show is the latest iteration of the durable crime-procedural franchise created by producer Dick Wolf. It is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment, and is filming its third season.

"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," a spokesman for NBC and Universal Television said in a statement.

"We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate."

The block where the killing occurred is lined with large trees and mostly three-story homes inhabited by a mix of longtime residents and newer arrivals. Monsignor McGolrick Park, a shady, dog-friendly oasis, is close by.

Monthly rents for some renovated units run from US$3,500 (S$4,870) to US$5,000, according to online listings.

The area is in the 94th Precinct, where serious crime is generally rare, according to police statistics. There had not previously been a murder in the precinct this year as of Sunday, and none last year or in 2020, the data shows.

Mr Janus Czuj, a 35-year neighbourhood resident who lives around the corner from the site of the shooting, said violent crime was indeed rare in the area.

"Every night I walk here," Mr Czuj, 60, said, adding that there was "never a single problem" in the neighbourhood and "never something crazy like this".

He said his truck had been parked on Monday evening on the block where the killing occurred and that a man he believed was Mr Pizarro had asked him to move it.

"I saw him yesterday," Mr Czuj said. He added: "He was so energetic."

Ms Gabrielle Van den Berg, who lives across the street from where the shooting happened, said her husband had gone outside after hearing shots, then came back inside after noticing nothing amiss.

"It was really loud," she said of the gunfire. "I'm pretty sure it was three gunshots."

Crews filming shows like Law & Order: Organised Crime have long been a presence in certain city neighbourhoods, often to the chagrin of local residents who are frustrated about having to give up coveted parking spaces to make way for production-related vehicles.

Such productions typically post notices on light poles advising residents about when they must move their cars and when filming will begin.

Workers affiliated with a production, like Mr Pizarro, will then sit out all night to ensure that the streets are clear and stay that way.

In the case of the Law & Order: Organised Crime production, fliers indicated that cars were to be moved off the block by 10pm on Monday and that filming was set to begin at 6am on Tuesday - about an hour after Mr Pizarro was killed.

The shooting prompted production to shut down for the day.

A little after 4pm, the last police investigators left the area, as did a tow truck pulling what was presumably the car that Mr Pizarro was in when he was shot.