The guy who cops allegedly say shot and killed a 61-year-old grandma in Harlem, who got hit by a stray bullet while rushing to check on her grandson, decided to turn himself in. Ricky Shelby handed himself over to the authorities at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday morning, according to his lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, who spilled the beans to NBC New York. The 23-year-old dude from the Bronx was on the NYPD’s most wanted list in connection to the shooting showdown that went down last Tuesday, resulting in the tragic death of Excenia Mette, affectionately known as “Mama Zee” in the hood. Shelby is facing some serious charges – murder, attempted murder, and four counts of having a weapon without permission.
Before this, the police had already arrested Darius Smith for supposedly firing shots at Lenox Avenue and West 113th Street, which apparently set off the whole gun battle. Smith now has attempted murder charges hanging over his head. Surveillance footage snagged by NBC New York captured people at a nearby restaurant freaking out as bullets were flying everywhere, with some diving for cover inside a nearby SUV. The video caught a man on a scooter zooming away just as a bullet narrowly missed him, whizzing past and smacking the road.
In the chaos of the shootout, Mette dashed from a beauty salon to make sure her grandson was safe, but tragically got hit in the head by a stray bullet, as per the police report. “That’s just who she was. When you’re all about protecting and showing love like that. When you’re an empath, that’s how you roll,” said Makeba Reece. “She died doing what she does best: loving and protecting.”
Mette was not just any random grandma – she was a local business owner and a cherished presence in the neighborhood, known for feeding the hungry and lending a helping hand to anyone in need. “They snatched away a truly loving soul. Someone who was all about supporting the community. Who was always there, spreading love to everyone. She was like the mother figure. They’re tearing apart a community like this,” Reece lamented.
Mayor Eric Adams even showed up at the scene on Wednesday, labeling the shooting as a “horrific incident that robbed us of a grandma.” The police assured everyone that Mette’s grandson, the very person she rushed to check on, was not involved in the shootout.
