First NYC murders of 2025: Man in Harlem fatally slashed, Bronx man shot dead

Police said the first two NYC murders of 2025 occurred early on Wednesday morning, with a man fatally slashed in Harlem and another man gunned down in the Bronx.

The first homicides, police sources said, occurred at about 4:21 a.m. on Jan. 1 near the corner of West 137th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem.

Officers from the 32nd Precinct discovered an unidentified man at the location with a slash wound to his neck. EMS rushed the victim to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

During the preliminary investigation, police sources said, officers took a person of interest, identified as a 39-year-old man, into custody for further questioning. Charges are pending at this time.

The motive for the homicide is unknown and under investigation.

FILE- An NYPD vehiclePhoto by Lloyd Mitchell

As of Dec. 29, 2024, the NYPD reported 375 murders year-to-date in 2024, a 3.8% decrease from the 390 homicides reported at the same point in 2023. The 32nd Precinct had nine homicides in 2024, as of Dec. 29, down from 11 at the same point in 2023.

An hour later, authorities said, a man was shot dead at an apartment building at 364 East 170th St., across the street from the Bronx’s Claremont Park, at about 5:23 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Officers from the 44th Precinct, in responding to a 911 call regarding a shooting, found 46-year-old Mario Fowler, who lived at the East 170th Street residence, inside the building with multiple gunshots to both legs.

EMS rushed him to St. Barnabas Hospital, where Fowler was pronounced dead a short tie later.

During the investigation, police were alerted to the discovery of a second victim, a 23-year-old man with a graze wound to his chin, in front of 1420 Clay Ave. EMS rushed him to Lincoln Hospital in stable condition.

Police later learned that both Fowler and the other man were wounded in a shooting outside the East 170th Street apartment building. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation, and no arrests have yet been made in the case.

Through Dec. 29, the 44th Precinct tallied 16 murders in 2024, one more than the year-to-date total in 2023. Shootings were up slightly with 45 incidents, one more than the previous year’s total.

Anyone with information regarding either case can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

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