A Nigerian aspiring fashion designer, Sheriff Shittu, has been shot dead during a violent altercation inside a Brooklyn nightclub in the United States.
Shittu was fatally wounded when a gunman opened fire at Quilox Restaurant and Lounge in East Flatbush on Church Avenue near 95th Street at about 4:25 a.m. on Saturday, police said.
The 28-year-old had gone to the club with his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, to celebrate a friend’s birthday — just a day before their mother was due to arrive from Nigeria for a visit.
Recounting the chaotic moments after the shooting, Fawaz said, “I was screaming his name. I was trying to wake him up.”
According to him, the incident began when an intoxicated patron allegedly groped several women at the club, including Sheriff’s girlfriend. Sheriff reportedly confronted the man, leading to a physical tussle.
Disturbed by the situation, the brothers left the club about 45 minutes after arriving. However, they returned shortly afterward upon realizing Sheriff had left his cellphone behind.
“When we came back in, the guy was being escorted out,” Fawaz said. “The owner was saying, ‘Don’t mind that person, he’s a crazy guy.’ A few seconds later, I heard ‘pow,’ and I looked down and I saw my brother.”
A bartender immediately attempted to perform CPR as Sheriff lay motionless on the floor, while the suspected gunman fled the scene and remains at large.
“He was able to escape,” Fawaz lamented. “I don’t know how that happened or how he got the gun in the club. Security didn’t do its job. They didn’t search. You’re supposed to check people and their bags.”
Emergency responders rushed Sheriff to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to police. The family initially kept him on life support, hoping for a miracle.
“He has been pronounced dead, but we’re still hoping,” said another brother, Salem Shittu, 24. “We’re holding out with our faith in God.”
Describing Sheriff as warm and protective, Salem said, “He was a very sweet person, very outgoing. He was protective of his family, his friends and his loved ones.”
In a tragic twist, Sheriff was killed just a day before his 60-year-old mother, Foluke Shittu, arrived in the United States to visit her sons at their home in Far Rockaway, Queens. She was informed of her son’s death after landing.
“My son was a very kind person,” Foluke said tearfully. “I love him. We spoke on Friday, and I arrived on Sunday. That’s when they told me.”
Sheriff immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in 2018. He worked as a security guard while building his fashion brand, Riff Ent, which he hoped to expand into a full-scale label.
“We’re going to keep pushing his brand,” Salem said. “We’re just trying to make a way for one another.”
The grieving family is now demanding justice.
“We want him to get life in prison, the maximum sentence,” Salem said of the suspect. “If there’s a death penalty in New York, use that.”
