Alleged Gunman In East Harlem Murder Is Arrested, Police Say

EAST HARLEM, NY — A man accused of gunning down another man in East Harlem was arrested on Thursday, less than a day after the murder, according to police.

Michael Benton, 44, an East Harlem resident, is accused of fatally shooting 33-year-old Wesley Martin near East 121st Street and Third Avenue. Martin lived in the neighborhood, too, just a block away from his alleged killer.

The shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. Thursday. Police, who responded to a 911 call, found Martin suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest in front of 2367 Second Ave., in front of the Harlem East Life Plan clinic.

He was rushed to Harlem Hospital, but could not be saved.

Crime has mostly dropped this year in East Harlem's 25th Precinct, according to NYPD statistics, though the number of murders had risen from eight last year to 10 so far in 2021 — not including Thursday's shooting.