THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) – An off-duty NYPD officer and his father were killed in a shooting at a Bronx apartment building on Wednesday, law enforcement sources said.
Police and first responders descended on the building on Fteley Avenue, near 172nd Street, around 12:30 p.m. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more people were rushed to a hospital in unknown condition, officials said.
Authorities are investigating the shooting as a murder-suicide, sources said. The motive remains unclear, as of early Wednesday evening. However, relatives told PIX11 the father suffered from mental illness.
The NYPD identified the off-duty officer as Alexis Martinez, a five-year department veteran, on Wednesday night. He worked as a Bronx narcotics officer and was working toward earning his detective shield.
Members of his baseball team, Bronx Narcotics, grew worried Wednesday morning when he failed to show up to play. A well-being check revealed his tragic fate. Shot alongside his father in bed.
Amaury, who works in the building and did not want to use his last name, told PIX11 News he heard screaming from the apartment.
“Unfortunately, we are living a tragedy,” Amaury said through a translator. “They are excellent people, very decent, good people, very nice — the father and son, both of them.”
Cousins of the victim said Martinez’s mother was in Europe with her sisters and was rushing home after the tragic news.
The father, who has not been identified, used his son’s personal firearm to kill the 26-year-old as he slept, according to police. No motive is known.
Lauren Cook is a digital journalist who has covered local news in the New York City area for over a decade. She has been with PIX11 since 2020. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.
