In the early hours of a Saturday morning in Manhattan, a dispute over a dice game tragically escalated, leading to the death of 30-year-old Giovanni Otho. The incident occurred around 1 a.m. on April 25, 2020, near the corner of West 143rd Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem. Otho, a Black male and father of three, was playing dice with another man when an argument broke out.
The verbal confrontation quickly turned violent when a man, later identified as Taquan Alleyne, pulled out a
gun and opened fire. Otho was struck in the chest and rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 26-year-old man who was with Otho was also shot, sustaining wounds to his left foot and right elbow, but he survived the attack.
For months, the case remained under investigation. Then, in January 2021, authorities apprehended Taquan Alleyne, a 30-year-old resident of the Bronx, in connection with the fatal shooting. Alleyne was subsequently charged with murder, attempted murder, and weapons possession. The legal proceedings against him are ongoing. Otho was remembered by his family as a devoted father who was deeply loved.
