In the Bronx, a 40-year-old man named Sergio Santana Jr. was fatally shot on December 26, 2021. The incident also resulted in the death of 31-year-old Terench Joseph.
The shooting occurred in the early hours of the morning, just before 4 a.m., near the intersection of E. 152nd St. and Courtlandt Ave. in the Melrose section of the Bronx. Responding to a 911 call, police discovered both Santana and Joseph with gunshot wounds to the head.
Emergency medical services transported both men to Lincoln Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
According to police, the two men were standing outside a deli when a lone gunman approached them. The assailant reportedly engaged in a brief verbal exchange with Santana and Joseph before opening fire. After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene on foot.
In the days following the double homicide, the New York Police Department identified a suspect and released his photo to the public, asking for assistance in locating him. The individual was identified as Geronimo Gause.
On January 12, 2022, Geronimo Gause, 26, was apprehended and taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder, two counts of manslaughter, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the deaths of Sergio Santana Jr. and Terench Joseph.
