A bodega owner in New York City was caught in the crossfire of a shootout, according to the New York Post. This happened on Wednesday when 61-year-old Excenia Mette left her apartment to check on her grandson. After hearing gunfire, Mette ran to make sure her grandson was safe, but got caught in the crossfire instead.
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Renowned Bodega Owner Killed In Crossfire Of Gunfight
This occurred around West 113th Street and Lenox Avenue on Tuesday night. While running outside of her building, a bullet hit her in the head. Once the shootout finally ended, witnesses and neighbors came out to find Mette's unresponsive body.
The person who took it the hardest was her grandson. "Her grandson was screaming, 'Grandma! Grandma!'" Said Nana, a neighbor. "The bullets weren't supposed to be for her. Her instincts kicked in - you know your grandson's out there, your niece is out there, adrenaline kicked in. She had to make sure they were OK."
Although first responders rushed Mette to Mount Sinai Morningside hospital, they couldn't save her. Doctors pronounced her dead. Aside from Mette, the police found 23-year-old Darious Smith at the scene with an injured left foot.
He's allegedly one of the perpetrators of the gunfight, and it ended with him getting a bullet in his foot. Around the scene, investigators found a firearm and eight shell casings.
So far, the cops don't know if Smith was the one who shot Mette. Police took Smith into custody and brought him to the same hospital where Mette was. They have also yet to identify the other gunman who is still at large.
Sources say that Smith has a criminal record. He committed a robbery in June 2024, where he allegedly stole e-bike batteries. Smith also reportedly attacked somebody who tried to stop him.
Remembering The Pioneer Excenia Mette
Mette was well known in the community as a sweet and caring woman who worked at 67 Deli Corp. According to the outlet, she's considered a "pioneer in New York City's landscape of bodegas and deli."
"She was a part of the community," said neighbor Sara Lee to the outlet. "Always there when you needed her, a confidante, a good cook. She was just an awesome woman, and for her to die at 61 years old to gun violence is horrible."
Mette took the achievement of becoming the first woman, and black woman, to own a bodega in the city. This happened when she opened Momma Zee's Food to Plez Deli back in 1987.
Unfortunately, the pandemic made it difficult to stay open, and she eventually had to shut it down. Mette had set up a GoFundMe to try and keep this renowned bodega open, but sadly, it wasn't enough.
