In the early moments of a Wednesday morning in November 2016, the life of a 27-year-old mother, Salaya Figueroa, was tragically cut short by gunfire. The incident unfolded just after 12:30 a.m. outside the Louis Pink Houses, a public housing complex in East New York, Brooklyn. Figueroa was struck by a single bullet in the back as she and her boyfriend were outside one of the buildings at 1308 Loring Avenue.
Police believe she was not the intended target of the shooting.
Responding to a 911 call, police found Figueroa conscious but uncooperative. There were reports of a delay in identifying her gunshot wound by paramedics at the scene. She was transported to Brookdale University Hospital, where she was declared dead at approximately 2:50 a.m. The young mother left behind three children, ages nine, seven, and four at the time of her death.
The investigation into Salaya Figueroa's death led the New York Police Department to identify two suspects: Fred Coleman and Tyrell Rozzell. In the days following the shooting, a reward was offered for information leading to their capture, and both men were considered potentially armed and dangerous. In December 2016, 28-year-old Fred Coleman was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and criminal use of a firearm. He reportedly surrendered to the police at the 75th Precinct, accompanied by a pastor. At the time of Coleman's arrest, the second suspect, Tyrell Rozzell, remained at large.
