On the evening of Thursday, June 18, 2026, a burst of gunfire shattered the night in the Soundview section of the Bronx, leaving two men dead and a community in shock. One of the victims was 53-year-old Egbert Rutherford, a hardworking man known to some by the nickname "Dread." He and his friend, 43-year-old Curtis Brown, were enjoying a game of dominoes outside an urgent care clinic on Westchester Avenue when the fatal encounter occurred.
Both men, immigrants from Jamaica who had come to America to build a better life, were shot multiple times.
Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 10:10 p.m. in front of 1643 Westchester Avenue. First responders found both Rutherford and Brown with life-threatening gunshot wounds. They were rushed to NYC Health+Hospitals/Jacobi, but their injuries proved too severe, and both men were pronounced deceased. Rutherford's wife of three decades, Angelique Irving, was devastated by the sudden loss of her husband, whom she described as a dedicated man who worked seven days a week as a home health aide. He was a beloved caregiver to his patient, who remembered him not just as a worker, but as a fun and good friend.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the New York City Police Department launched an investigation into the double homicide. Witnesses reported that the shooting followed a brief confrontation between the victims and a group of men. Police are searching for three suspects in connection with the murders and have released surveillance photos to the public, asking for assistance in identifying the individuals. Despite the ongoing investigation and the circulation of the suspects' images, no arrests have been made in the case. The community is left to mourn the senseless loss of two of its members as police continue their search for those responsible. This case represents a stark example of the sudden and tragic consequences of gun violence, leaving a family to grieve and a neighborhood on edge while justice for Egbert Rutherford and Curtis Brown remains elusive.
