In the early hours of a Sunday morning in the Bronx, 44-year-old Zedekiah Slade was behind the wheel of his Honda, working as an unlicensed livery driver. At approximately 4:15 a.m. at the intersection of Park Avenue and East 138th Street, a gunman opened fire on his vehicle. Slade was struck by two bullets, one in his abdomen and another in his upper arm.
His passengers reportedly fled the scene in the chaotic moments that followed the shooting.
Despite his serious injuries, Slade managed to drive himself to Lincoln Hospital. For a brief period, it seemed as though he might survive the ordeal, but his condition took a turn for the worse. Two days after the shooting, on March 24, 2014, Zedekiah Slade succumbed to his injuries. An autopsy later revealed that the gunshot wounds had tragically pierced his liver and intestine.
Family and friends described Slade as a hardworking and honest man who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. His brother speculated that the gunman's intended targets may have been the passengers in the car, not Slade himself. In the wake of his death, the New York Police Department launched an investigation, but the case has been met with significant challenges. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, and a clear motive for the crime has not been established. The investigation into Zedekiah Slade's death remains ongoing as his family and community continue to await answers and hope for justice.
