Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man, found Sunday morning inside of a Flatiron District pole dancing studio.
According to police sources, at around 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, cops rushed to Moxy Fitness and Pole Training Studio, located at 355 7th Ave., after reports that a person had been shot. Responding officers from the 14th Precinct made their way up the building’s staircase to discover a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS pronounced the victim, Harlem resident Steven Mussington, dead at the scene.
An eyewitness who asked not to be named reported that, soon after the shots were fired, several half-naked women fled the building and into the street, where they began scrambling to get dressed. A pair of stilettos could still be observed on the sidewalk as officers investigated.
After the body was removed, a number of individuals who had reportedly remained inside were escorted out of the building and packed into several police vehicles for questioning. While some of the females attempted to conceal their faces, one of the men could be heard saying, “I don’t want to get in the back of no car.”
Sources with knowledge of the studio’s dealings say that while it is a legitimate business during daylight hours, the space is apparently rented out overnight, during which individuals bring females to dance for shady clientele. The same source also reports the business was connected to another shooting mere weeks prior.
Investigators remained at the scene throughout the morning, speaking to witnesses and combing over evidence. As of publication, police report that no arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing.
While shootings are up slightly year-to-date in Midtown’s 14th Precinct, murders are down dramatically, according to Police Department data. As of Oct. 1, when the most recent data is available, there were two reported homicides in the precinct — down almost 68% from the six reported during the same time frame in 2022. However, as of Oct. 1, there were three reported shootings in the precinct — up 50% from two in 2022.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
