A Nigerian aspiring fashion designer based in the United States, Sheriff Shittu, was fatally shot inside a Brooklyn nightclub following a confrontation with an intoxicated patron who allegedly groped his girlfriend, according to his brother.
Police said the shooting occurred at about 4:25 a.m. Saturday inside Quilox Restaurant and Lounge, located in East Flatbush on Church Avenue near 95th Street. Authorities confirmed that a gunman opened fire during the incident.
Shittu had gone to the club with his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, to celebrate a friend’s birthday just one day before their mother was due to arrive from Nigeria for a visit.
“I was screaming his name,” Fawaz recalled, describing the chaotic aftermath. “I was trying to wake him up.”
According to Fawaz, the confrontation began when a drunken man started inappropriately touching women in the club, including Sheriff’s girlfriend. Sheriff intervened, leading to a physical altercation with the individual.
Disturbed by the incident, the brothers left the club about 45 minutes after arriving, Fawaz said. However, they soon realised Sheriff had left his cellphone behind and decided to return to retrieve it.
When they re-entered the venue, the intoxicated man was being escorted out, and the club’s owner attempted to calm the situation, Fawaz recounted.
“The owner was saying, ‘Don’t mind that person he’s a crazy guy,’” Fawaz said. “A few seconds later, I heard ‘pow,’ and I looked down and I saw my brother.”
A bartender reportedly rushed to perform CPR on Sheriff as he lay motionless on the floor, according to his brother. The gunman fled the scene and remains at large.
Police have not yet announced any arrests as investigations continue.
