On a summer night in Queens, New York, the life of Joseph Taheim Bryan, a 50-year-old filmmaker and writer, was cut short in a burst of violence. On Thursday, August 19, 2021, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Bryan was seated behind the wheel of his new Mercedes-Benz on Jackson Avenue in Long Island City when a gunman ambushed him. The shooter, who had been dropped off nearby by a getaway driver in a dark-colored Mazda, fired about seven shots into the driver's side of the vehicle.
Bryan was struck multiple times in the arm and torso. He was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, where he was pronounced dead.
The news of Bryan's murder sent shockwaves through his community and the entertainment industry, where he was known for his recent film, 'Equal Standard.' His friend and collaborator, the rapper and actor Ice-T, expressed his profound grief and anger on social media, stating, 'MFs Killed my friend last night. I'm not in a good place behind this. Taheim was a GOOD dude making Positive moves. He wrote & we made the film EqualStandard together. He leaves a Wife&Daughter. Dirty MFs followed him home and Murdered him.' The sentiment was echoed by others in the hip-hop community, including rapper Nas, who mourned Bryan as 'One of The Bridge Finest,' a reference to the Queensbridge housing project.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the New York Police Department launched an investigation into what they quickly determined to be a targeted killing. Surveillance footage captured a suspect pacing near the scene while on a cell phone before approaching Bryan's car and opening fire. After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in the waiting dark-colored SUV. The police have been searching for two suspects in connection with the murder. As of late 2021, authorities had not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.
