In the early moments of April 7, 2021, the life of 21-year-old Tziah Townsend was tragically cut short in the Bronx. The young man, a resident of Brooklyn, was behind a building at the NYCHA Claremont Parkway-Franklin Avenue Houses at approximately 12:22 a.m. when violence erupted. He was discovered unconscious and unresponsive, having sustained a single gunshot wound to his buttocks.
Emergency medical services rushed Townsend to St.
Barnabas Hospital in an effort to save him, but his injury proved to be catastrophic. The bullet had traveled through his body, causing severe internal damage to multiple vital organs. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Tziah Townsend was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The investigation into the homicide quickly pointed to a robbery that had taken place while Townsend and others were engaged in a dice game. The fun and games turned fatal when a gunman opened fire. Less than two weeks later, on April 19, 2021, the New York City Police Department made an arrest in connection with the killing.
Jason Perez, a 24-year-old resident of the Bronx, was taken into custody and charged with murder, manslaughter, and robbery for his alleged role in the death of Tziah Townsend. Authorities believe that Perez was the individual who fired the fatal shot during the commission of the robbery. The case against him is pending in the legal system.
