Police: Off-duty officer Alexis Martinez killed in apparent murder-suicide in the Bronx
NEW YORK -- Police were investigating an apparent murder-suicide involving an off-duty NYPD officer in the Soundview section of the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon.
It happened in a fourth-floor apartment inside a building at 172nd Street and Fteley Avenue.
Officers responded to a crime scene that involved on of their own.
Investigators say a father shot his 26-year-old son, now identified as Alexis Martinez, an off-duty NYPD narcotics officer. They say the father then turned the gun on himself.
Our hearts are heavy as we honor our fallen brother, Police Officer Alexis Martinez, who was tragically taken from us earlier today. We stand by his family and fellow officers as they face this unspeakable loss. Please keep our officer and his loved ones in your thoughts and… pic.twitter.com/DK5gHMsp4R
— Edward A. Caban (@NYPDPC) August 3, 2023
A small memorial stands in front of the building, symbolizing the heartbreak being felt in the neighborhood.
Wednesday afternoon, grief brought people to their knees.
"Oh no. No, I did not hear any gunshots. I only heard the screams -- 'why,' and that's it," one neighbor said in Spanish.
As police try to figure out what led up to the shooting, NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban is calling the death of Officer Martinez an "unspeakable loss." With heavy hearts, fellow officers saluted as the body of their brother in blue was removed.
In a tweet, Mayor Eric Adams said, "On behalf of the city he served, I offer our deepest condolences to Officer Alexis Martinez's family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in the NYPD."
Anyone who has worn the NYPD uniform knows this pain. We know how afraid our families were to get this call.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) August 3, 2023
On behalf of the city he served, I offer our deepest condolences to Officer Alexis Martinez's family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in the NYPD. https://t.co/mRdHSv5sBC
"I feel so bad about Alex because I know him. That's sad. That's crazy," said a man named Omar, who works at a bodega nearby.
Friends say Martinez had lived in the apartment since he was a kid and always wanted to be a cop, adding he worked hard to join the narcotics unit in the Bronx.
He was also on a baseball team and was supposed to play in a game Wednesday afternoon but never showed up.
"Of course everyone is worried sick here because we are all good people. We are good people, and it is unfortunate what happened. We are worried," a neighbor said.
Watch Shosh Bedrosian's report
Residents in the close-knit community told CBS New York they heard the aftermath of the tragic incident. Many of them knew the father and son and saw them on a daily basis.
"He always comes in in the morning to buy some water from here. I always shake his hand and he always go to work. We're all friends and I've known him for about four years," Omar said.
Police say this appears to be a domestic incident and they aren't looking for any other suspects, but they are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting.