On a spring day in the Bronx, what began as a dispute between two men ended in a fatal burst of violence. Kevin Higgins, a 37-year-old man, was inside the Ambience Unisex Salon on White Plains Road near East 220th Street on April 17, 2018, when he was shot and killed. The confrontation stemmed from a disagreement with a former business associate, Trafarrah Smith.
Smith was reportedly angry with Higgins over a construction job that he had been promised but had not materialized.
This frustration boiled over into a physical altercation inside the salon. During the struggle, Smith pulled out a firearm and shot Higgins in the chest. Emergency services were called, and Higgins was rushed to Montefiore Medical Center, but the wound proved to be fatal, and he died shortly after arriving.
The alleged shooter, Trafarrah Smith, did not get far from the scene. Police found him just a half-block away from the salon, suffering from a gunshot wound to his own leg, an injury sustained during the deadly confrontation. He was taken into custody by the authorities.
Following the investigation into the shooting, Trafarrah Smith was arrested and faced a series of serious charges. The Bronx District Attorney's office charged him with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a loaded firearm. His arrest in connection with the death of Kevin Higgins was reportedly his 11th time being arrested, although the details of his prior offenses remain sealed. The community was left to mourn the loss of Higgins, with a small memorial being set up outside the salon as friends and family grappled with the senseless act of violence that had taken his life.
