The heart-warming footage shows the moment when the beloved former Harem Bodega owner was fatally injured by a ferocious bullet after hearing a gunshot and ran out to check on his grandchild on Tuesday night.
Excelnia Mette, 61, was declared that someone else was shot in the head with a bullet intended for her, and later died in a local hospital, according to police and law enforcement.
Surveillance footage from a nearby business shows that around 10:30pm, he went outside the beauty bar in Tamara (the salon on the first floor of his apartment), looked around, and then tried to retreat as the firefight exploded, but was unable to make it in time.
Instead, precious community members were crumpled to the ground of the heartbreaking video obtained by the Post.
The shooting that insisted on the life of an innocent bystander and wounded another victim that began when the argument between the two men escalated into a shootout.
One suspect first pulled a gun, leading to a brief struggle, sources said. The second suspect then wielded his gun around and fired. Sources say one of his shots is hitting Mette.
The 47-second clip shows other bystanders running safely behind a parked car after the sound of two gunshots first faded.
She then took a few more steps outside and seemed to scream something before another series of gunshots rang, the video shows.
My grandmother was attacked and collapsed on the sidewalk in front of the salon door.
Another man then appears on the security video and falls before quickly stepping in and ducking for cover, the disastrous video shows.
Known affectionately as “Zeenie,” Mette lay on the ground for a few seconds before someone rushed to check on her, according to the clip.
At least eight shell casings were recovered at the scene during police investigation.
Lovers posted that it was within the Mette characters that they could go outside to make sure her grandchild was safe, even if it led to her tragic death.
Almost 24 hours after the fatal shooting, a makeshift memorial set up flowers and prayer candles, spelling out letter Z and heart shapes outside the hair salon.
A large cardboard box was hung in front of the salon, closed on Wednesday, with several heartfelt messages recognised in praise of Mette.
“We love your soul, Mama Zi,” one message read. “Fly, my love.”
“You taught me how to become a gentleman without pop,” another read.
“I’ll miss you already,” the third said tragically.
Mette became a pillar in her harem community and ran for nearly 40 years, as the former owner of Momma Zee’s Food to Plez Deli.
She opened a pioneering business in the 1980s, making it the first female and black-owned bodega in the Big Apple.
The deli was closed after failing to survive the Covid-19 pandemic.
Darious Smith, 23, a suspect who was allegedly involved in the gun fight, was taken into custody by authorities. He suffered a gunshot wound to his leg.
The second gunman responsible for killing Mette will remain in LAM on Wednesday night.
