Overview
- Edgar Spence, 78, was struck in the torso Thursday night while sitting in his motorized wheelchair in the Mitchel Houses courtyard in Mott Haven and died at a hospital.
- Police say early findings indicate he was not the intended target and that a stray round likely hit him.
- Detectives are reviewing surveillance video at the NYCHA complex and urge tips to the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline.
- Neighbors who called Spence “Grandpa” and “Pops” held a candle tribute at his bench and pleaded for an end to gunfire in shared courtyards.
- Official figures show major crime in the Bronx fell 9.4% in the first quarter of 2026 and the city logged a record-low 54 murders in that span, highlighting how rare but deadly incidents still persist.