In the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, a Black woman named Shaquana Button, 36, was fatally shot in the face outside a bodega on the night of January 15, 2018. The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. in front of the Candy & Grocery deli located at 728 E. 149th St. Button, who was engaged to be married and just days away from her 37th birthday, became involved in a heated argument with a man inside the store.
Surveillance footage from the bodega captured the tense exchange between Button
and the man. The dispute, which witnesses suggested may have started over a cigarette, involved pushing and shoving before another individual stepped in between them. Shortly after the argument, as Button stepped outside the bodega, the man followed her and shot her at point-blank range. Emergency medical services responded to the scene, but she was pronounced dead from the gunshot wound. Tragically, it was reported that Button's mother had also been a victim of gun violence, having been shot and killed in Brooklyn in 2004. In the days following her death, friends and family gathered for a vigil, remembering her as a nice person who got along with everyone.
Police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Amere Bryant. Wanted posters were circulated, and authorities asked the public for assistance in locating him. Bryant had prior arrests for criminal possession of a weapon and criminal sale of marijuana. The investigation continued for over a year until Wednesday, February 27, 2019, when Amere Bryant, then 25, was arrested and charged in connection with Shaquana Button's death. He was facing murder charges for the fatal shooting.
