A Nigerian aspiring fashion designer, Sheriff Shittu, was fatally shot at a nightclub in Brooklyn following a confrontation with a man who allegedly groped his girlfriend.
Sheriff Shittu, 30, was shot when a gunman opened fire inside in East Flatbush on Church Avenue near 95th Street at about 4:25 a.m. on Saturday, according to police.
Shittu had gone to the club with his younger brother, Fawaz Shittu, to celebrate a friend’s birthday, just a day before their mother was scheduled to arrive from .
“I was screaming his name,” Fawaz said while recalling the aftermath. “I was trying to wake him up.”
According to Fawaz, the incident began after a drunk man allegedly started groping women in the club, including Sheriff’s girlfriend. Sheriff confronted the man, leading to a tussle.
The brothers initially left the club about 45 minutes after arriving because of the disturbance but returned shortly after realizing Sheriff had forgotten his phone. When they came back, the man involved in the earlier altercation was being escorted out.
“The owner was saying, ‘Don’t mind that person — he’s a crazy guy,’” Fawaz recounted. “A few seconds later, I heard ‘pow,’ and I looked down, and I saw my brother.”
A bartender attempted CPR as Sheriff lay on the floor. The gunman fled the scene and has not been apprehended.
“He was able to escape,” Fawaz said. “I don’t know how that happened or how he got the gun in the club. Security didn’t do its job. They didn’t search. You’re supposed to check people and their bags.”
Sheriff was rushed to , where he later died, according to authorities. However, his family initially kept him on life support, holding onto hope.
“He has been pronounced dead, but we’re still hoping,” said Salem Shittu, 24. “We’re holding out with our faith in God.”
“He was a very sweet person, very outgoing,” Salem added. “He was protective of his family, his friends and his loved ones.”
The tragedy occurred just a day before their 60-year-old mother, Foluke Shittu, arrived for a planned visit to their home in Far Rockaway, Queens.
“My son was a very kind person,” Foluke said. “I love him. We spoke on Friday, and I arrived on Sunday. That’s when they told me.”
Sheriff immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in 2018. He worked as a security guard while building his fashion brand, Riff Ent.
“We’re going to keep pushing his brand,” Salem said. “We’re just trying to make a way for one another.”
The family is now calling for justice.
“We want him to get life in prison, the maximum sentence,” Salem said. “If there’s a death penalty in New York, use that.”
