A 31-year-old crew member for Law & Order: Organized Crime was shot and killed on location for the show’s third season in New York Tuesday morning.
Johnny Pizarro, who lived in Queens at the time of his death, was sitting in his car at approximately 5:15 a.m. ET in the Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn. After an unknown person allegedly approached the car, opened the door, and opened fire, striking the crew member in the face and neck, Pizarro was transported to Woodhull Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival, according to the NYPD.
A joint statement from NBC and Universal Television said they were “terribly saddened and shocked” to hear of the tragedy.
“We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate,” they continued. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time.”
Pizarro was a part of the set security and parking enforcement and was employed by a private company that was contracted by production. Although a motive is unclear at this time, witnesses said the suspect was wearing a black hoodie and black pants. He was also described as a man with a thin build at about 5 foot 4 inches tall.
The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams offered a statement to Deadline via Adams’ press secretary, Fabien Levy.
“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. The NYPD is actively investigating the fatal shooting of a crew member of Law and Order: Organized Crime early this morning. 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.”