Bronx dad shot dead, susp busted
Neighbors mourn victim
A 35-year-old dad was fatally shot in the lobby of his Bronx apartment building — and a neighbor was later arrested for the slay, cops said Sunday.
Najai “Nigel” Sow, 35, was blasted three times in the torso in the entrance of his building on Hoe Ave. near Bruckner Blvd. in Longwood about 5:40 p.m. Saturday.
First responders rushed Sow to Lincoln Hospital but he could not be saved.
“He’s a family man. He’s not into violence or none of that,” said Sow’s friend, Daniel Ponte, 19. “He’s a positive person. … If you ever needed help in something, he’ll help you.”
Neighbors said Sow had a young son, enjoyed helping neighbors’ kids with their math homework, and was always looking for new business ventures, especially in the local rap industry.
Sow had come into some money from a lawsuit related to a back injury, according to friend Star Lancaster, and used it to start his own music label and invest in stocks.
“He had his little label going and he definitely had some artists in his label — some kids from around the neighborhood that are really talented, so he would help them and support them,” said Lancaster, 45.
Early Sunday cops arrested Vincent Gibson, 42, who lives two blocks from Sow, on murder, manslaughter and weapon possession charges, authorities said.
Lattina Brown, 35, who lives in the building, lamented a lack of security. “I’ve been telling the property manager about this for years, and still we don’t have a hallway camera,” she said. “As a mother, I’m afraid for my child. This should not be happening, period.”
Sow was quick to hold open doors for residents, especially if they were carrying groceries, Brown said.
Sow’s death is the first homicide this year in the Bronx’s 41st Precinct, which saw five murders in 2019.
The city has seen a 10% spike in homicides so far in 2020, with 119 slayings through May 17, compared with 108 in the same time frame in 2019. The Bronx has accounted for 27 of this year’s slayings.