NEW YORK (PIX11) — A 21-year-old man is accused of killing two men, including one in a smoke shop, in separate Manhattan shootings over the weekend, police said.
Messiah Nantwi was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder for allegedly shooting two men in the head in separate incidents, including one that is believed to be gang-related, according to the NYPD.
Nantwi allegedly shot Brandon Brunson, 36, inside a smoke shop on Lenox Avenue in Harlem at around 8 p.m. Sunday. The suspect shot Brunson twice in the head, including once while he was on the ground, police said. He died at the hospital.
Police are investigating if the shooting was gang-related or the result of a drug deal gone wrong, sources told PIX11 News. Nantwi and Brunson knew each other.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video and showed a fight between the gunman and the victim. The victim lit a cigarette and started to walk away when the gunman opened fire.
Nantwi also allegedly shot Jaylen Duncan, 19, in the head near Madison Avenue and East 132nd Street in Harlem on Saturday afternoon, police said. The victim died at the hospital.
Prior to these incidents, Nantwi was arrested in a police-involved shooting in the Bronx in 2021 and was out on bail in that case, according to the NYPD.
The suspect’s arraignment in the recent incidents was pending, according to public court records.
