Police said both victims appeared to be bystanders after gunfire erupted amid a large crowd early Sunday.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 33-year-old woman was killed and a 34-year-old man was wounded in an early Sunday shooting near a bar in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, police said. No arrests had been announced as investigators worked to determine who opened fire and what led to the violence.
Police responded shortly after 2:20 a.m. Aug. 16 to the area of Bergen Street and Howard Avenue after receiving a report of a person shot. Officers found the woman with a gunshot wound to her back and the man wounded in the abdomen. The shooting occurred near Ooh La La Lounge and Bar, where a large crowd had gathered before the gunfire.
The woman was identified as Sofronie Hartzog, 33, of Brooklyn. Emergency medical workers took her to Brookdale Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The wounded man, whose name was not released, was taken by private transportation to Kings County Hospital and was reported in stable condition. Police said he was expected to survive.
Investigators believe Hartzog and the wounded man were bystanders rather than participants in the dispute that preceded the shooting, according to police accounts reported Sunday. Authorities had not publicly identified the shooter or shooters, and it remained unclear how many weapons were fired.
About 100 people were gathered near the intersection when a verbal dispute developed before the shooting, according to police information reported by News 12 Brooklyn. Investigators had not disclosed what the disagreement was about or whether it began inside the nearby bar or elsewhere on the block.
ABC7 reported that Hartzog was a mother of five. Police had not released additional details about her activities before the shooting or explained whether she knew anyone involved in the dispute. Authorities also had not released the identity of the 34-year-old man who survived.
Images from the scene showed police working around Bergen Street and Howard Avenue after the shooting. A photo distributed through Reuters Connect showed shell casings on the street and damage to a vehicle. The photo provider said no arrests had been made and the investigation was continuing.
Some early reports differed slightly on the exact time of the shooting, with accounts placing the police response at about 2:23 a.m. and the gunfire several minutes later. The central details were consistent: two people were struck, Hartzog died at a hospital and the second victim survived.
Police had announced no arrests as of Sunday afternoon. Investigators were continuing to examine what happened before the shots were fired and who was responsible for the gunfire that killed Hartzog and wounded the other victim.
Author note: Last updated August 16, 2026.