2 men playing dominoes fatally shot in Soundview; police search for gunmen
SOUNDVIEW, The Bronx (WABC) -- Police are searching for the gunmen who shot and killed two men while they were apparently playing dominoes in the Bronx.
The gunfire erupted just minutes after 10 p.m. Thursday on Westchester Avenue in the Soundview section.
Several people ran from the scene, but two men were killed.
Police taped off Westchester Avenue, where multiple shell casings could be seen.
The two men who were shot multiple times, 43-year-old Curtis Brown and 53-year-old Egbert Rutherford, were found a short distance apart, according to investigators.
The 53-year-old victim's wife, Angelique Irving-Rutherford, said that her husband, Egbert Rutherford, and the other victim were originally from Jamaica.
"He had my granddaughter outside earlier, and then he came in the house and he bring my granddaughter in, and he took his marina off and came back out. A little bit later I heard the banging, by the door was banging, and he died," Irving-Rutherford said. "Luckily he bring my granddaughter in because she would have died with him too."
One man collapsed at the scene, while the other made it around the corner before also collapsing.
Both were taken to Jacobi Hospital but could not be saved.
Rutherford's widow says some pushing and shoving may have sparked the violence.
"My husband and a guy was rubbing shoulders, and the guy bumps into my husband, and my husband said, 'what is this for?' And then they started arguing, and then it turned into a difficult situation," she said.
She said that she had been married to Egbert for 13 years, but they had known each other for three decades.
"I dropped like twice. I don't sleep all night last night. I've been outside since 5 last night just walking around," Irving-Rutherford said. "You take away my family. You take away my family, I have no family. My husband don't mix with people. He goes to work seven days a week."
The 53-year-old victim is being remembered for his generous spirit.
"He's always giving... he feeds the people in the park. He feeds them. He's always looking out for somebody, always," Irving-Rutherford said.
Rutherford worked as Collin Cross' caretaker.
"I can't believe my caregiver is gone," Cross said. "He was a friend. He was a good worker. Fun guy. Very fun guy."
Detectives were back in the neighborhood Friday morning searching for surveillance video as their investigation continues.
Police believe multiple gunmen got away, and no arrests have been made.
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