A community basketball tournament in Harlem turned deadly this weekend when gunfire erupted on the court, leaving a Brooklyn man dead and two others injured.
According to The New York Post, the shooting happened on Friday night (July 10) around 10:30 p.m. during the Kingdome Basketball Tournament at the Martin Luther King Jr. Towers basketball courts.
Police said a 35-year-old man from Brooklyn, who was participating in the tournament, was shot twice in the head. Witnesses told authorities he was struck once more after he had already fallen to the ground from the first shot. He was transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Two other victims also suffered gunshot wounds. A 28-year-old man was struck in the shin, while a 22-year-old woman was shot in the right forearm. Both were taken to Harlem Hospital and are expected to recover.
The deceased was later identified as Kinu Rochford, a 35-year-old Brooklyn resident and former Fairleigh Dickinson University men's basketball player. No arrests have been made, and investigators have not announced a motive.
The annual tournament had just gotten underway after weather delayed its scheduled opening on Thursday (July 9). One attendee, who identified himself as "Freak," said hundreds of people had gathered to watch the games before the shooting unfolded.
"This shit needs to stop. I got kids running around these projects," Freak said. He estimated roughly 500 spectators were at the courts and called for a greater police presence during future community events.
Resident Jessica Montgomery, who said she has lived in the Martin Luther King Jr. Towers for about a decade, recalled initially mistaking the gunfire for fireworks. "It sounded like a firework," she said. "And then I heard it again and people started running."
Another witness, who identified himself as "Wavy," said Rochford was preparing for his next game when the shooting occurred. "He was one of the players," Wavy explained. "He was just warming up for the next game."
Reflecting on the tragedy, he added: "All I know is that young Black man came out here to play basketball, and he is not going home tonight."
Anyone with information on the Kingdome shooting can contact NYPD Crime Stoppers on 800-577-TIPS or online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org.
