In the early hours of Saturday, March 8, 2025, a dispute that began inside a Brooklyn bar spilled out into the street, leaving a 45-year-old Bronx man, Steven Battle, dead from a gunshot wound to his head. The fatal encounter occurred at approximately 2:47 a.m. in the Ocean Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Prior to the shooting, Battle had been inside The Daily Press, a local establishment that functions as a coffee shop by day and a bar by night, located at 38 Somers Street.
Witnesses reported that Battle had been making threats to 'air the place out' after being unable to find his phone. Shortly after leaving the bar, as he was heading to his parked white Honda Accord, an assailant approached and opened fire. Surveillance footage from the scene captured the gunman firing at Battle before fleeing.
Officers from the 73rd Precinct responded to a 911 call and found Battle at the scene with a gunshot wound to his head. Emergency medical services rushed him to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The street was closed for several hours as police investigated, marking multiple pieces of evidence in the roadway.
The New York Police Department has released a description of the suspect, identified as a Black male with a dark skin complexion, a slim build, braids, and facial hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-blue hooded sweatshirt, light-colored grey jeans, and black-and-white sneakers. The suspect reportedly fled the scene in a black four-door Cadillac SUV. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.
