A 30-year-old Nigerian fashion designer based in the United States, Sheriff Shittu, has been shot dead following an altercation with a drunk patron at a nightclub in Brooklyn, New York.
Shittu was fatally shot in the early hours of February 14 during a birthday celebration at Quilox Restaurant and Lounge, located in the East Flatbush area.
According to local media reports, the incident occurred at about 4:25 a.m. when a suspected gunman, who was being escorted out of the club by security personnel, allegedly opened fire.
Accounts indicate that the shooting followed a confrontation involving an intoxicated patron who had reportedly caused a disturbance inside the lounge.
The suspect was said to have behaved disorderly and allegedly inappropriately touched some female guests, including Shittu’s girlfriend, which led to a heated exchange.
Shittu had attended the event with his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
Speaking to News 12 Brooklyn, Fawaz described the heartbreaking moment his brother was shot.
“I was screaming his name. I was trying to wake him up,” he said, explaining that the disagreement escalated quickly after the patron’s unruly behaviour inside the club.
Family members have called for justice, raising concerns over the venue’s security measures. Salem Shittu, another brother of the deceased, questioned how the suspect was able to bring a firearm into the club.
“We don’t know how the security did not do the job and search properly before somebody could bring a gun into the club,” he said. “He was being kicked out, and he was being escorted out when he did it.”
Police said the suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting and remains at large.
Shittu was rushed to One Brooklyn Health–Brookdale University Hospital Medical Centre, where he was later pronounced dead.
Described by family members as an aspiring fashion designer striving to build his career in the United States, Shittu’s death has left relatives and friends devastated.
Authorities have launched a manhunt for the suspect as investigations into the fatal shooting continue.
