On a late Friday night in Mount Vernon, New York, a verbal dispute escalated into a fatal act of violence that claimed the life of 41-year-old Kwasi Kirton. The altercation, which began inside a bodega on March 4, 2022, tragically ended with Kirton being shot multiple times.
The disagreement spilled outside, where Heyward Bradshaw III, a 33-year-old resident of Mount Vernon, pursued Kirton.
Bradshaw, armed with a semi-automatic handgun, fired numerous shots at Kirton near the intersection of Third Street and Third Avenue. Kirton was struck multiple times and was rushed to Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Following the shooting, Bradshaw fled the scene, prompting a weekend-long manhunt by the Mount Vernon Police Department in conjunction with the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force. Investigators tracked Bradshaw to a residence on Palmer Avenue in the Bronx. On Sunday, March 6, 2022, as detectives and federal agents surveilled the location, Bradshaw was taken into custody without incident as he exited the home with two other men.
Bradshaw, who had a criminal history dating back to 2006, was charged with second-degree murder. The entire violent encounter was captured on surveillance video, which showed Bradshaw chasing Kirton and shooting at him nine times, striking him seven times in the chest, neck, thigh, shoulder, and forearm. The footage also depicted Bradshaw running up to Kirton after he had fallen and shooting him four more times before fleeing. After the incident, Bradshaw initially fled to a nearby apartment building before traveling to Connecticut. The weapon used in the shooting was later recovered by law enforcement.
On May 19, 2023, Heyward Bradshaw pleaded guilty to the charge of Manslaughter in the First Degree. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 25 years in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
