The 21-year-old man who was shot in the head inside a residential building in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx on March 29, just south of the University Heights border, and who was hospitalized and in critical condition, has died, police said Tuesday, April 7.

 

As reported, a police spokesperson said that on Sunday, March 29, at around 10.51 p.m., officers responded to a 911 call regarding an assault in progress inside 1930 Harrison Avenue, within the confines of the 46th Precinct, which covers some or all of the Bronx neighborhoods of Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mount Hope.

 

“Upon arrival, officers observed a 21-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the head,” a police spokesperson said. “EMS responded and transported the victim to St. Barnabas Hospital [in Belmont] in critical condition.”

Police said there were no arrests, and the investigation remained ongoing. On Tuesday, April 7, police confirmed the victim succummed to his injuries and died on Monday, March 30. They said he has been identified as Elyjah Williams of Brooklyn. They added that the Office of Chief Medical Examiner has since deemed the incident a homicide, that there are still no arrests, and that the investigation remains ongoing.

 

When Norwood News visited the location on Monday morning, March 30, three different sets of neighbors said they heard no shots, no arguments, and no disturbance of any kind, including one resident on the same floor as where the shooting occurred.

One elderly female resident said she heard a lot of commotion later which she believes was the police arriving, but nothing before that.

 

A large pool of blood was seen outside one of the apartments on the fourth floor, where a police officer guarded the scene. He mentioned the department was awaiting receipt of a warrant to enter the affected apartment.

A short distance away on the same block, a mural was seen dedicated to a young man who had previously died. Another female resident we spoke to said the area was generally quiet and nothing like the shooting had happened before.

 

As reported, a 35-year-old man was stabbed to death on Webster Avenue in the Norwood section of The Bronx on Saturday, March 28, and on Friday, March 27, separately, another 21-year-old man was shot in the head and died outside Woodlawn subway station, also in the Norwood section of The Bronx.

A number of anti-gun violence rallies have been held in recent weeks in the north Bronx following a spate of recent shootings, which unlike the general downward trend seen across the City, have gone up in The Bronx.

 

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch recently announced that the borough would be split into two distinct patrol borough commands to meet the needs of the community.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.