A quiet Sunday evening in the Bronx was shattered by gunfire on February 23, 2025, leaving one man dead and another wounded. The life of 33-year-old Kemahni Robert Smalls was cut short in the sudden violence that erupted just before 8 p.m. in front of a seafood restaurant on White Plains Road. Smalls, a resident of Staten Island, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his back during the incident.
He was privately transported to Jacobi Hospital, but his injury proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The shooting also left a 32-year-old man injured. He reported hearing several gunshots before feeling a pain in his back and realizing he had been wounded. Emergency medical services rushed him to the same hospital, where he was treated and listed in stable condition. The two men were caught in a violent outburst that quickly turned a regular evening into a scene of chaos and tragedy.
In the aftermath, the New York Police Department launched an investigation into the double shooting. Detectives from the 49th Precinct began a manhunt for the suspected gunman, who was seen fleeing the scene on foot. Authorities have described the suspect as a man in his 20s with a dark complexion and a slim build, standing approximately 6 feet, 2 inches tall. At the time of the incident, he was reportedly wearing a sweatshirt and dark-colored pants. The NYPD has since released images of the person of interest and is urging anyone with information to come forward. As of the latest reports, no arrests have been made in connection with the fatal shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.
