In the spring of 2017, the life of a young, aspiring rapper from Brooklyn was tragically cut short in a brazen daytime shooting. Byron Elder, a 22-year-old male, was gunned down in the courtyard of the Williamsburg Houses at 203 Scholes Street. The incident unfolded around 12:30 p.m., sending shockwaves through the community as residents witnessed the violent act and its immediate aftermath.
Elder, known by his rap moniker 'Papi Lowso,' was a lifelong resident of the nearby Bushwick
Houses and was remembered by his mother as a prankster who adored basketball and was deeply protective of his 2-year-old daughter. He had recently released an album titled 'Trenches' and was actively pursuing his dream of making it big in the music industry, frequently performing at shows and spending time in the studio. Friends and family expressed their grief and support on his Facebook page and created a large candlelight shrine in his memory outside his home.
Witnesses at the scene described seeing a man in a hooded sweatshirt shoot Elder in the chest before fleeing into the housing complex courtyards. Despite the efforts of bystanders who rushed to his aid, and the swift arrival of emergency responders who transported him to Kings County Hospital, Elder was pronounced dead. The shooting was a stark reminder of the violence that plagued the area, being the second fatal shooting near the Williamsburg Houses that spring.
Days after the shooting, the man identified as the suspect, 33-year-old David Green, surrendered to detectives at the 90th Precinct. Green, a Brooklyn resident who lived less than a block from the scene of the crime, was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Police noted that Green had a history of prior arrests for offenses including assault and robbery.
