A 35-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday in Hell's Kitchen after an altercation with a rival, police and witnesses said, as crime continued to rise in the neighborhood.
Shareef Jackson was shot twice in the chest just before 3 a.m. inside his apartment on 49th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, NYPD and residents said.
Police found a man bleeding and conscious in front of a five-story building.
Medical personnel rushed him to New York City Health Hospital/Bellevue, but he could not be saved.
His killer was still at large Saturday night.
Residents told the Post they heard screams before three gunshots rang out.
The cold-blooded killing comes as the Midtown North Precinct has seen a 66.7% increase in homicides this year compared to 2023, with five homicides recorded through Dec. 15, according to the NYPD. . crime statistics.
Robberies, assaults, rapes, and robberies are also on the rise, and local residents are upset.
“I've lived here for years,” said Thomas Kurilla, 67.
“It's really gotten better. It's become more gentrified and we're back to the 1980s.”
Those sentiments were echoed by residents who left Jackson's building, which was covered with crime scene tape, hours after the murder.
“It's a scary time around Hell's Kitchen. It's a shame it's going the wrong way. I hope it gets better. This street used to be better,” he said, adding that he was planning to go on holiday to Australia. he added.
“There couldn’t be a better time.”
