On what should have been a joyous occasion, Keon Gill, a 43-year-old man, was fatally shot in the Bronx in the early morning hours of January 25, 2026, the very day he was celebrating his birthday. Gill, a resident of Middletown, New York, had been at a party and was walking near West 242nd Street and Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx at approximately 2:50 a.m.
when the deadly encounter occurred.
Accompanied by a 25-year-old man, Gill was approached by an assailant, leading to a physical altercation. The confrontation escalated tragically when the suspect produced a firearm and shot both men just outside of Van Cortlandt Park. Gill sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The younger man with him was shot in the knee and was also taken to the hospital for treatment.
Family members described Gill as a dedicated and charismatic working father who enjoyed life. His uncle lamented that Gill was on his way home to his wife to continue celebrating his birthday when he was killed in what he believed was a robbery attempt. Friends remembered him as an avid basketball player, known affectionately as "Special K" at the YMCA of Middletown, where they planned to create jerseys in his memory.
As of late January 2026, no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing. Police have described the suspect as a man wearing a black Nike tracksuit and red sneakers who fled the scene on foot. The surviving victim reported to the police that he did not know the gunman.
