Father Of 4 Shot And Killed In Washington Heights: Report

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A father of four who tried to protect his family from local drug dealers was shot dead in a Washington Heights apartment building lobby, according to police and reports.

Lamar Brown, 44, was gunned down just before 2 a.m. on Saturday within an apartment building lobby at 501 West 176th Street with a single gunshot to his stomach, an NYPD spokesperson said.

Emergency services rushed him to Columbia Presbyterian where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

No arrests have been made in connection to the shooting and the investigation remains ongoing.

Mother Speaks Out

The mother of Brown told the Daily News that she thinks her son was killed after chasing drug dealers out of the lobby of the family's apartment building on 176th Street.

She told the publication that he would routinely tell the drug dealers who blocked the path of older tenants at the front door to get out of the way.

“He made sure I was safe in my building,” she told the Daily News. “He would tell them, ‘That’s my mother, she lives here and you’re gonna respect her.’”

Brown's mother chose not to give her name out of fear of retaliation.

Brown's two youngest children, ages three and seven, were asleep with his mom in the apartment above when he was shot, reported the Daily News.

You can read more on the Daily News website.