61-year-old woman fatally shot in the head in Harlem believed to be innocent bystander
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- A woman fatally shot in the head in Harlem on Tuesday night appears to have been an innocent victim of gunfire.
The shooting happened on 113th Street and Lenox Avenue around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Family members say 61-year-old Excenia Mette was cleaning up at the deli where she helped out at the time of the shooting.
Police say it was her caring nature that brought her outside that night.
They say she heard three people arguing outside. Worrying that her grandson was involved, she went outside to make sure he was safe.
Police say bullets started flying and the 61-year-old was caught in the middle and killed.
"The grandson was not involved, but she was, as a concerned grandmother would do, to come check on her family members," said Capt. James M. Whitlock.
Instead, the grandson was safely in his grandmother's apartment upstairs. He says she would have gone outside to help anyone.
"She treated everyone on this corner like they were her grandson," he said.
Officials say a 23-year-old man was also shot in the foot and is expected to recover.
They say he initially opened fire on a rival, who remains on the run. That rival returned fire, and the grandmother was killed.
Police believe three people were involved in the dispute.
The 23-year-old, identified as Darious Smith, is charged with attempted murder, and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, and it's not his first run-in with the law.
The suspect stole e-bike batteries in June of 2024, and slashed a good Samaritan who tried to stop him.
"The case in itself just personifies of what we have been talking about over and over again, number one, repeated offenders, the person who was apprehended and involved in the shootout sustained an injury to his foot, but also last year was arrested for stabbing two people doing what appeared to have been a robbery just last year," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Investigators found eight casings and a gun several block away on St. Nicholas Avenue and 112th Street.
As for Mette, community members say they are in shock by her passing.
"She was not afraid, she wanted to see change, and she knew in order to see change she had to be a part of that change, and her life was taken because she wanted to see change," one woman said.
Those who knew the Mette said she was always full of life.
"She liked to have fun with people her age, younger kids, making sure everybody is safe, she's like a warming person, like a warmer person," a loved one said.
Neighbors and activists say they're tired of seeing crime tape up in their neighborhood, and want the violence to end.
"If one person is shot, we're all shot because this is our community and these are our people and we're saying enough is enough," said WARM founder Stephanie McGraw.
Police are looking for additional suspects.
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