In the borough of the Bronx, a burst of gunfire shattered the morning calm, forever altering the course of several lives. On August 27, 2021, Demetry Aristotle, a 29-year-old male, was standing near the intersection of 137th Street and St. Ann's Avenue at approximately 9:28 a.m. when he was gunned down in a sudden and brutal attack. An individual approached him and fired multiple shots, striking him in the chest.
Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital by private means, Aristotle succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The brazen daylight shooting was captured on surveillance video, which showed the gunman, wearing a black hoodie and a mask, approaching Aristotle and opening fire. The footage proved to be a critical piece of evidence in the ensuing investigation. Police were able to track the suspect from the scene of the crime to an address on Alexander Avenue, where he had attempted to change his clothing to evade capture. The investigation moved swiftly, and within days, an arrest was made.
On September 3, 2021, authorities took a 17-year-old male named Shawn Bass into custody in connection with the killing. Bass was subsequently charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon. The motive for the shooting was described as a random act of senseless violence, as Bass reportedly approached Aristotle, who was simply spending time on the sidewalk, and began shooting.
The legal process culminated on November 28, 2023, when Shawn Bass pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. On June 6, 2024, a Bronx Supreme Court Justice sentenced Bass, who was 20 years old at the time of sentencing, to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to a tragedy that had abruptly and violently ended a young man's life on a summer morning in the Bronx.
