In the early hours of a Tuesday in Queens, New York, the life of 29-year-old Demitri McKay Jr. was tragically cut short. On March 24, 2026, Demitri was inside the Hangar 11 bar and restaurant in Kew Gardens when gunfire erupted shortly after 1 a.m. He was struck in the left arm, with the bullet then tragically piercing his heart. Emergency services rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, but his injuries proved fatal.
An MTA bus driver and a devoted father to an 8-year-old son,
Demitri was reportedly at the bar on a date. Authorities believe he was not the intended target of the shooting, which they have described as gang-related. His family and community remember him as a peacemaker and a loving family man, the youngest of three children raised in a faith-grounded home. He had previously been an usher at the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church of Hollis, where his father serves as a deacon.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the New York Police Department announced they were searching for two male suspects. One was described as wearing a black Nike tracksuit, and the other a pink Nike tracksuit. Surveillance images of the two individuals have been released to the public in an effort to identify them. A firearm was reportedly recovered on a street a block away from the scene of the crime.
As of late March 2026, no arrests had been made in connection with the fatal shooting of Demitri McKay Jr., and the investigation remains ongoing. The suspects who fled the scene are still at large. The untimely death of this young father, an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire, has left his family and community in mourning as they await justice.
