Who was Johnny Pizarro? Ex-con and 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' crew member, 31, shot execution-style on set
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: A crew member working for 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' was shot dead at the TV show’s Brooklyn set on Tuesday, July 19. Johnny Pizarro, 31, was reportedly murdered during an ambush attack in Brooklyn, the New York Police Department confirmed. At the time of the murder, Pizarro was in charge of parking enforcement.
Pizarro was sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2008 red Honda Civic just after his shift began. Another man suddenly opened the driver's door and shot him, officials and acquaintances said. “It was crazy,’’ said a colleague of Pizarro, who was saving the spot on North Henry Street near Norman Avenue for the film crews’ trucks to use later, according to the New York Post.
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“I didn’t hear an argument or nothing. It was quiet, early morning,’’ said the colleague, who did not wish to be named. "It was just a pop, and the [gunman] ran up towards Nassau [Avenue]. I only heard one bang, but I don’t know how many shots. I don’t even know who would do this or why.’’
The motive for the killing remains unclear. Police, however, are not ruling out anything, including whether it may have occurred due to a parking dispute. A flyer taped to a lamp pole on the street, titled 'Stop Film Shoots Around McGolrick Park', urged residents to complain to their local lawmakers about “how the filming of our neighborhood is displacing your family." “The area around McGolrick Park has had a WEEKLY film shoot for MONTHS taking away DOZENS of blocks for PARKING and displacing THOUSANDS of Greenpoint residents while over 600 parking spots were recently REMOVED underneath the BQE for the construction of a bike lane that no one uses,” the posting says.
Who was Johnny Pizarro?
Johnny Pizarro was a married dad of three. According to a Queens neighbor, he always wanted to work in TV. Pizarro was shot several times in the face and neck, officials said. His Facebook profile, which goes by the name 'Jay Murda Pizarro', does not say much about him, except that he is from Brooklyn, New York.
Pizarro had an arrest record, according to police sources, but he had been out of trouble since around 2015. His previous busts included marijuana raps, but the cases have been sealed. Pizarro had also been arrested for DWI in the 75th Precinct on one occasion, which includes the borough’s East New York and Cypress Hills neighborhoods.
The suspect, after shooting Pizzaro, fled on foot. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie and black pants, police said. Pizarro's father, Johnny Pizarro Sr, 54, who lives in Puerto Rico, said that he and his son were not very close but had reconnected in the past three years. “It shocked me very hard,’’ the father said of the news of Pizarro's death. “We weren’t close, but he’s my son no matter what. Now he’s gone for good, forever. I feel lost. To me, he was a good boy. He took care of his children. He was always nice to me.”
A neighbor of Pizarro described him as “a really great guy." “I am shocked,” the resident said. Another neighbor said of the victim, "Everybody loved him." A third neighbor called Pizarro "bubbly".
Greenpoint resident Ian Oberholtzer, 35, suggested that the murder was not likely to have stemmed from the fact that Pizarro may have been reserving parking spots, according to the Daily Mail. "I can't imagine it was related to parking," Oberholtzer said. "There's plenty of parking spots at 5 am." Claiming that the murder had shaken the neighborhood, he said, "It's not the kind of thing you'd expect on the block. I never feel threatened or endangered. I'm concerned but also pretty confused by it."
No arrests have been made in the case yet. NBC, which produces the series, confirmed in a statement to Daily Mail that Pizarro was hired by the network. "We were terribly saddened and shocked to hear that one of our crew members was the victim of a crime early this morning and has died as a result," the statement said. "We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time."
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After the murder, Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement, "We offer our deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers during this difficult time, and will work diligently to bring the suspect to justice and stem the tide of gun violence we are seeing. The safety of all New Yorkers is our top priority. No shooting is acceptable, which is why we are working every day to get illegal guns off New York City streets.”