Stepfather, stepson fatally shot in their East Flatbush building: NYPD

EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (PIX11) — The two men shot to death in their Brooklyn building Sunday night were stepfather and stepson, police said Tuesday.

Bladimy Mathurin, 47, and Mode Chinwai, 27, were found with gunshot wounds in the fourth-floor hallway in the Flatbush Gardens complex in East Flatbush at around 10:40 p.m., according to the NYPD. One man was shot in the head and the other was shot in the torso, police said.

Mathurin and Chinwai were shot to death allegedly by their neighbor, who confronted them about noise coming from their apartment, according to police and law enforcement sources. The NYPD identified the suspect as 47-year-old Jason Pass.

Surveillance video shows the moments leading up to the shooting. After Pass allegedly went upstairs to confront his neighbors, the situation escalated. At one point, the victim’s wife tried to pull her husband away, but he pulled out a pair of scissors while getting in the face of the suspect, the video showed. The suspect eventually pulled out a gun and opened fire, the video showed.

Officers found nine shell casings at the scene, police said. The suspect hasn’t been arrested.

“I shed tears, tears, tears because the breadwinner is gone. The next to stand in line is gone, senselessly. Why?” said Paulette James, a neighbor.

PIX11 News has learned that at least six 311 calls were made by Pass since 2022, complaining about the noise coming from the upstairs apartment.

“I’m just distraught. It was an ongoing battle with them of them harassing my family,” said Pass’ sister, who wished to remain anonymous. “The management in Flatbush Gardens are aware of everything.”

Neighbors agree that noise and other complaints are not isolated in the building but said that nothing justifies the shooting. Community leaders vowed to help tenants deal with the grief and trauma and also with everyday concerns.

“We are trying to show tenants here how to deal with issues no matter what and to keep it away from the emotional self,” said Kimberly Oliver with the Flatbush Gardens Tenant Association.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).