By Rachel Kalina and Anthony Rifilato
The incident occurred early on Oct. 27, when 25-year-old Terrence Atkinson was shot in the head and torso as he left Da Flava Bar, at 1299 Grand Ave., at around 2:40 a.m., according to police. He was taken to Nassau University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 5:35 a.m.
Police said at press time that an investigation was under way, and that they were still searching for suspects.
This is the second shooting in Baldwin in two weeks. On Oct. 17 and 18, police arrested three teenagers in connection with a drive-by shooting in which no one was injured. In the past month there have been five homicides in the 1st Precinct, two each in Roosevelt and Uniondale and last week¹s incident, the first shooting death in Baldwin in recent memory, police said.
Officials would not speculate on a motive for the killing, but according to Atkinson¹s father, Wilbert, Terrence had been handing out promotional fliers inside Da Flava, and gave one to a girl with whom he started a conversation. The girl¹s boyfriend felt disrespected, and Wilbert said he heard that the man threw a drink in her face and then hit his son.
Despite the altercation, however, Wilbert Atkinson said he doubted it was the girl¹s boyfriend who actually shot his son. Atkinson said he thought the shooter may instead have been a friend of the boyfriend¹s.
Da Flava opened in June, replacing the Ochos Rios Café, a bar known for numerous disturbances and police responses. Residents regularly complained at community meetings and pleaded with local officials to crack down on the bar. ³This place always has trouble,² said a neighbor who lives nearby. Although he said he was sleeping at the time of the shooting, he heard about it shortly after waking up.
The neighbor said that the bar now called Da Flava has re-opened several times under different names, and is often rowdy. On Friday nights, he said, there could be as many as 100 people partying in the streets.
Another nearby resident pointed to a section of his fence that had recently been knocked over by rambunctious bar-goers.
Police said that Da Flava had operated without any incidents since it replaced Ochos Rios. ³That was a bar where we had relatively little trouble since they opened in June,² said 1st Precinct Inspector Rick Capece. He said the killing was an isolated incident and emphasized that it was not gang related.
Some residents said that Ochos has been a nuisance for years. Police and fire officials frequently visited the bar, where there were complaints about the late hours and loud music. At community meetings, residents expressed outrage about fighting, public urination, drug use, trash and late-night disruptions in and around the bar.
³It¹s been a colossal pain for a long time,² said Baldwin resident Tom Ryley. ³I know police have been there before. It¹s ridiculous.²
Capece confirmed that Ochos had numerous disturbances and violations, but that this was the first such incident since it was replaced by Da Flava. ³With the previous owner there were problems,² Capece said. ³This owner was OK. There have previously been no disputes there. It¹s just an unfortunate situation.²
While police search for suspects, Atkinson¹s family is reeling from his death. His father described him as a young man who walked away from trouble and was a hard worker. He added that he had heard his son had walked away from the dispute at Da Flava, as Wilbert said he had often done in the past. ³Everybody knew him,² Wilbert said. ³He was a good guy.²
Terrence worked in a cleaning business, and his co-workers have stopped by the family¹s home to pay their respects. Wilbert and his wife, Janet, have begun planning a funeral for Terrence, their second youngest child in a family of three daughters and one surviving son.
At noon last Friday, police were still investigating the scene at the corner of Grand Avenue and North William Street. Nearly a dozen police and detective cars and a crime search unit vehicle could be seen at the site. Leading out of the bar¹s entrance were numbered orange markers, and detectives stood taking notes. Cars trying to get through on Grand Avenue that afternoon made their way slowly past the yellow police tape surrounding the bar, as the busy thoroughfare was largely cordoned off between Garfield Road and North William Street.
Wilbert said that his son had been to Da Flava before on Thursdays for the bar¹s karaoke nights. He was upset to see that the bar was already re-opening over the weekend, less than 24 hours after his son¹s death. ³That¹s not right,² he said. ³It¹s a crime scene and they shouldn¹t do that.²
Comments about this story?
Baldwineditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext.207.
