Police have released surveillance images of the man they say is responsible for a deadly shooting inside a Bronx lounge last week, taking a significant step forward in a case that has left a neighborhood shaken. Investigators are now publicly identifying the accused gunman and appealing for anyone who recognizes him to come forward as the search intensifies.
According to police sources, the man who fired the fatal shots is 24-year-old Luis Aguero. Authorities say Aguero opened fire inside the venue just after four in the morning, unleashing the gunfire that turned a night out into a killing. Detectives working out of the 46th precinct are treating him as the person who fired the deadly rounds that night.
The shooting happened at the M Lounge, a restaurant and lounge at 2362 Jerome Avenue in the Fordham section of the Bronx, on July 16. The man killed was 29-year-old Yeimy Reyes, who was shot in the head. Police confirmed that Reyes died right at the doorstep of the lounge, where his life ended just steps from the entrance of the venue.
Reyes was a familiar face in the area. Those who knew him say he was known locally as a DJ, though on the night he was killed he had been at the venue selling sunglasses. His presence there that evening was ordinary, which has made the sudden violence that took his life all the more difficult for those who knew him to absorb.
The moment the gunfire broke out was captured on camera. Surveillance video shows the chaos that erupted after the shots were fired, with people seen sprinting to safety outside the M Lounge and restaurant. In the aftermath, a News 12 crew spoke with Reyes' wife of five years, Michelle, who was grieving her husband's death as his body lay steps away.
The investigation is still active as police work to track down the suspect. Authorities say Aguero may have a criminal history, though the district attorney has not confirmed that. As the search for the gunman continues, investigators are trying to piece together what led to the deadly shots, and they are urging anyone who recognizes the man in the images to contact police.