In the early, cold hours of a Saturday morning in Brooklyn, the life of 23-year-old Jordan Dillard, a Black male, was cut short by gunfire. The incident, which marked the first homicide of 2025 in the 76th Precinct, unfolded around 2:48 a.m. on January 11th in the normally tranquil Carroll Park. Officers, responding to a 911 call about shots fired, discovered Dillard on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso.
Emergency medical services rushed him to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
The events leading to the fatal shooting are contested. According to law enforcement sources, Dillard's death occurred during an attempted robbery. A man, who was legally carrying a concealed firearm, told police that Dillard ambushed him in the park, putting him in a chokehold and holding a knife to his throat while demanding money. The man, whose identity has not been released, fought back and shot Dillard in the torso. A knife was reportedly recovered at the scene, and police have stated there is no known connection between the two men.
While authorities have indicated that the shooting appears to be a case of self-defense and that charges against the shooter are unlikely, Dillard's family vehemently disputes this narrative. His sister, Brandy Dillard, expressed her disbelief, stating that her brother was 'set up' and lured to the park. She claims a text message that circulated among his friends may point to a trap. Family members described Dillard, who had no prior criminal record, as a kind and family-oriented man who had recently lost his job with a youth program. Tragically, at the time of his death, he had been planning to attend the funeral of his cousin, who had also been a recent victim of gun violence. The investigation remains ongoing as the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office reviews the case, leaving a grieving family searching for answers.
