Crime & Safety
Suspect In Murder Of Shanice Young In Harlem Is Arrested
Justin Soriano is accused of fatally shooting his ex, Shanice Young, as she left her Harlem baby shower over the weekend.
HARLEM, NY — The ex-boyfriend accused of fatally shooting Shanice Young, a pregnant Harlem woman who was leaving her baby shower over the weekend, has been arrested days after authorities launched a manhunt for him, police said Thursday.
Justin Soriano, 40, was taken into custody without incident at an acquaintance's house in the Bronx, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a news conference Thursday.
He faces charges of second-degree murder in the death of Young, 31, who was shot around 1:15 a.m. Sunday near the corner of West 128th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. She was eight months pregnant, and her baby did not survive.
Find out what's happening in Harlemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Police said Young, who lived nearby, had just left her own baby shower and was loading gifts into a car when Soriano showed up and confronted her current boyfriend. Soriano confronted the new boyfriend and chased him into the building.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Shanice Young for this senseless loss. She was due to have her child in 5 days. I will do everything I can as Lieutenant Governor to help end gun violence. https://t.co/UpCf46EHBf
— Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin (@NewYorkLtGov) September 13, 2021
When the two men returned to the sidewalk about a minute later, Young intervened and asked Soriano, "What are you doing here?", Essig said.
Find out what's happening in Harlemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Soriano, brandishing a gun, then fired three shots, one of which struck Young in the face, according to police. She was rushed to Harlem Hospital but could not be saved.
Four children, including two of Young's, were inside the car as the confrontation played out.
Young's death has sent shockwaves of grief through Harlem, which was already contending with a spate of other shootings. Leaders called Young's death an example of the disproportionate violence faced by Black women, and a rally on Tuesday called for an end to the violence.
"Our hope here is that this apprehension begins the process of closure for the family, and just as importantly, for the community, for this terrible, terrible crime," Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Thursday, following Soriano's arrest.
Related coverage:
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
