A 30-year-old Nigerian fashion designer based in the United States, Sheriff Shittu, has been shot dead following an altercation with an intoxicated patron at a nightclub in Brooklyn, New York.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of 14 February during a birthday celebration at the Quilox Restaurant and Lounge, located in the East Flatbush area.
According to local reports, the shooting happened at about 4:25 a.m. when a man who was being escorted out of the venue by security personnel allegedly pulled out a firearm and opened fire.
Witness accounts indicate that the suspect had been behaving disorderly inside the lounge and allegedly inappropriately touched several female guests, including Shittu’s girlfriend. The situation reportedly escalated into a heated confrontation before security intervened and attempted to remove the man from the premises.
Shittu had attended the celebration with his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, to mark a friend’s birthday.
Speaking to local media, Fawaz described the devastating moment his brother
was shot.“I was screaming his name. I was trying to wake him up,” he said, adding that the disagreement began after the patron’s unruly conduct inside the club.
Family members have since called for justice and questioned the venue’s security procedures. Salem Shittu, another brother of the deceased, expressed concern over how a firearm was brought into the club.
“We don’t know how security did not properly search someone before they could bring a gun inside,” he said. “He was already being escorted out when he did it.”
Police confirmed that the suspect fled the scene immediately after the shooting and remains at large. Authorities have launched a manhunt and investigations are ongoing.
Shittu was rushed to One Brooklyn Health–Brookdale University Hospital Medical Centre, where he was later pronounced dead.
Described by relatives as an aspiring designer determined to build a successful career in the United States, Shittu’s death has left family and friends in deep mourning.
