NEW YORK — A 31-year-old man was fatally shot early Tuesday as he guarded a “Law & Order” film set in Brooklyn, police said.
The unidentified victim was providing security and guarding equipment trucks for the “Law & Order: Organized Crime” film crew on N. Henry St. near Norman Ave. in Greenpoint around 5:15 a.m. when the gunman approached, the sources said.
The victim was sitting in a car — with a traffic cone perched on the roof — when the shooter yanked open the door and shot the victim in the neck and head.
“It happened so quick, too fast. I don’t even know who would do this or why or what,” said another security guard for the show who witnessed part of the shooting. The guard did not wish to be named. “It was quiet. (There was) just a pop and the dude ran. I looked out my side mirror window and I seen him running towards Nassau.”
EMS rushed the victim to Woodhull Hospital, where he died. His name was not immediately released.
It was not immediately clear if anyone involved with the production was present at the time of the shooting.
There was no clear motive as of Tuesday morning and police were investigating all angles, including whether the shooting stemmed from a dispute over parking, a police source said.
Residents of the block recalled hearing three shots — followed by bedlam.
“Then (there was) a car sound, and then yelling,” resident Ian Oberholtzer, 35, said. “I guess people were freaking out. It seems kind of detached from everyday life around here, it’s not the kind of thing you’d expect from the block.”
Film crews are quite common in Greenpoint, said Oberholtzer, who didn’t believe the killing was over parking.
“They shoot a lot over here, so the parking routine is pretty normal — them setting up cones, moving their cars,” he said. “(There are) plenty of parking spots at 5 a.m. I have no idea what happened.”
The victim had a wife and three children, the set guard said.
“He was a great guy. Cheerful, always laughing, making somebody laugh. It’s crazy,” he said of the victim. “We’ve been doing this for like five, six years already. (We) put the fliers up, put out the cones, you know? We come 24 hours in advance to start clearing out the parking, so we’re here before everybody.”
A notice posted on the block by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment indicated that filming of the third-season episode was set to begin at 6 a.m.
Vehicles not involved in the shoot were supposed to be removed from the area beginning at 10 p.m. Monday.
Cops are scouring the area for surveillance footage that can help them identify the shooter.
The victim, a Queens resident, had a criminal record, but it was not immediately clear if his past had anything to do with the shooting.
“Law & Order: Organized Crime” stars Christopher Meloni reprising his role as Det. Elliot Stabler from “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In this incarnation of the “Law & Order” franchise, Stabler and his team lead investigations into widespread criminal organizations.
Emails to the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and NBC Universal were not immediately returned.
