Who is Latisha Bell? Bronx woman, 38, arrested after shooting Nichelle Thomas point-blank over ‘toxic’ relationship
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: A woman was fatally shot in the head in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, April 21, just blocks away from the Barclays Center, police said. Nichelle Thomas, 51, was approaching the corner of Fourth Avenue and St Marks Place in Park Slope when another woman, reportedly her ex-girlfriend, ran up to her from behind and shot her in the head. The incident happened around 1 pm on April 21 on the sidewalk in front of a bodega, authorities said. You can watch the chilling video here.
Emergency Medical Services were immediately called and they found Thomas unresponsive upon arrival. She was later transported to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 1.26 pm. The police have arrested 38-year-old Latisha Bell of Bronx and she has been charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
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Chilling video shows the moment a woman was fatally shot in the head in broad-daylight Wednesday on a Brooklyn street.
— MassiVeMaC (@SchengenStory) April 21, 2021
Surveillance footage obtained by The Post captured Nichelle Thomas, 52, walking on 4th Avenue in Park Slope at around 1 p.m., pic.twitter.com/wbxZxPREFx
Who is Latisha Bell?
Latisha Bell quickly escaped the crime scene after carrying out the shooting. Police had said that the unknown female suspect was last seen running away from the scene armed with a silver handgun. “At this time there is a suspect being interviewed in regards to a shooting this afternoon at corner of 4th Ave and St.Mark’s Place. Investigation is at preliminary stage and further info will be provided at later date,” a tweet from NYPD 78th Precinct's page read.
The incident was being investigated as a homicide and there were no arrests made until 4 pm. A couple of hours later, Bell surrendered to the cops at the 78th Precinct station with her lawyer. A neighbor revealed that the victim Thomas was a mother and was in a relationship with Bell a couple of years ago. The two went their separate ways after their relationship reportedly became too toxic. “They lived together for years,” the neighbor told NY Daily News.
“But they were always fighting. They had a big falling out about three years ago and she left.”
At this time there is a suspect being interviewed in regards to a shooting this afternoon at corner of 4th Ave and St.Mark’s Place . Investigation is at preliminary stage and further info will be provided at later date.
— NYPD 78th Precinct (@NYPD78Pct) April 21, 2021
Latisha Bell fired the bullet point-blank
Thomas' last moments were captured on horrifying 9-second surveillance footage as she walked towards a deli on the corner of Fourth Avenue and St Marks Place. She was being followed by her assailant. Bell bolted from the street to the sidewalk and charged up to Thomas. She then raised a gun to the back of her head and fired point-blank as Thomas opened the door to the deli, following which she collapsed to the ground, the reports stated. She never saw it coming. The attacker then ran off.
Thomas was described by her neighbors and family as a friendly woman who was often seen walking her dogs. “She was a very nice lady,” said a shaken neighbor of Thomas. “She didn’t deserve this.” The victim's daughter said that she was still processing what had occurred. “I’m confused,” she said. “I don’t know what happened. I can’t talk right now.” The shocking murder was the first shooting and homicide in Park Slope, a neighborhood in one of the city's least violent precincts, this year.