The 29-year-old victim had been selling sunglasses at a Fordham restaurant where he once worked as a DJ, his wife said.
NEW YORK — The wife of a man fatally shot at a Bronx restaurant said she missed a call from him minutes before police responded to the business early Thursday, offering a brief account of his final hours as detectives searched for two suspects.
The 29-year-old man was shot in the basement of M Lounge Restaurant at 2362 Jerome Ave. in the Fordham section shortly after 4:25 a.m., police said. He was taken outside to the sidewalk, where he was pronounced dead.
Police had not formally released the victim’s identity as of Thursday afternoon. A woman who identified herself to local news outlets as his wife referred to him by the first name Jaime and said he had previously worked as a DJ at the restaurant.
She said her husband went to M Lounge on Wednesday night to sell sunglasses. She told News 12 that he called her at about 4:20 a.m., but she missed the call and later took a cab to the scene.
Authorities had not confirmed the details of the phone call or said whether investigators had examined the victim’s phone. Police also had not disclosed whether he was working at the restaurant, attending an event or visiting the location when he was killed.
The woman’s account differed slightly from early information circulating near the scene, where some people described the victim primarily as a DJ. Her statement indicated that he had performed at the restaurant in the past but was selling glasses there Wednesday night.
Investigators had not released information about a motive or any events that may have preceded the gunfire. It also remained unclear who moved the victim from the basement to the sidewalk and whether anyone tried to provide aid before emergency crews arrived.
Police said two men believed to have been involved in the shooting escaped on foot. No descriptions of the men were immediately released, and authorities had not said whether surveillance video captured their movements.
No arrests had been made by Thursday afternoon. The victim’s full name remained unconfirmed by police as detectives continued interviewing potential witnesses and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Author note: Last updated July 16, 2026.