The victim was found shot to death early Thursday in an apparent home invasion.
The incident happened just after 1 a.m. on the corner of East 86th Street and Avenue K in Canarsie. A day care center is located on the first floor, but everyone was asleep when the suspects burst in.
Relatives identify the victim as 60-year-old Stevenson Blackett, who owns a plumbing business in the area. Family members were standing vigil outside the home, stunned by what happened.
Police say he was sleeping on the basement level, while his wife and grandchildren were sleeping on another level. The invaders reportedly entered through the back door and went directly to where Blackett was sleeping, where they shot him twice in the head.
Family members say he was also tied up.
"They shot him in the head, twice," daughter Terrel Blackett said, holding back tears. "So we don't know...We know they came in through the back door. They broke the mesh and turned the key and came in the house. That's all we know right now."
Police believe it may have been a botched robbery, but they have not ruled out that Blackett was targeted.
