Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage and the dispute that preceded gunfire near a Brooklyn bar, with no arrests announced.
NEW YORK — Police were searching Monday for whoever opened fire near a crowded Crown Heights intersection, killing a 33-year-old woman and wounding a man after a dispute involving people gathered outside a neighborhood bar.
The shooting occurred early Sunday near Bergen Street and Howard Avenue, where the Ooh La La Lounge and Bar sits at the corner. Police accounts reported by local news organizations indicate that a large group was outside when an argument broke out shortly before shots were fired. The two people hit by the gunfire appeared to be bystanders.
News 12 Brooklyn reported that detectives estimated about 100 people were gathered in the area at the time. Police received a 911 call shortly after 2:20 a.m., and reports placed the shooting at roughly 2:23 a.m. to 2:33 a.m. Investigators were still working to determine what started the confrontation and which people in the crowd were directly involved.
The woman was identified by FOX 5 New York as Safronie Hartzog, 33, a mother of five. She was shot in the back and went inside the bar for help, police said. She was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. A 34-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition.
Surveillance video from the area captured people running for cover as gunfire broke out, according to FOX 5 New York. News 12 also reported that video appeared to show a dark-colored vehicle moving around the block near the time of the shooting. Police had not publicly said Monday that the vehicle was connected to the gunfire.
The number of people at the scene may complicate detectives’ effort to reconstruct the shooting. Investigators must determine who took part in the initial dispute, who had weapons and where the shots originated. Authorities had not released a description of a confirmed shooter or announced what evidence, beyond surveillance footage and material recovered at the scene, had pointed them toward a suspect.
Police told local outlets that Hartzog and the wounded man were not believed to be intended targets. That distinction remains central to the case as detectives examine a confrontation that turned deadly for someone who was not accused of taking part in it.
Residents interviewed by News 12 described an unusually large gathering outside that night. Some reported hearing numerous shots, but police had not publicly confirmed an exact number of rounds fired. Investigators also had not announced whether one gun or multiple firearms were used.
No motive had been established publicly by Monday morning, and police had not announced any arrests. Detectives continued searching for the person who fired the fatal shot and were investigating whether other suspects played a role in the confrontation or shooting.
Author note: Last updated August 17, 2026.