In the Bronx, on the evening of October 1, 2023, 35-year-old Cleveland Smith was pursued by at least one individual before seeking refuge inside a bodega on East 175th Street in the Mount Hope section. Surveillance footage captured Smith running down Eastburn Avenue as a man chasing him drew a firearm and fired. Both men then entered the Felomar Bodega.
Inside the small store, Smith was shot in the torso. Police responded to a 911 call around 5:11 p.m.
and discovered Smith with a gunshot wound. Emergency medical services transported him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene, reportedly on a scooter. An investigation led to the arrest of 27-year-old Fili Nunez Rodriguez of Washington Heights. Rodriguez was taken into custody within the confines of the 46th Precinct, the same precinct where the shooting occurred. He has been charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. Authorities did not immediately release a motive for the shooting.
