A security crew member for “Law & Order: Organized Crime” was gunned down early Tuesday morning in New York while setting up parking for the film crew.
Johnny Pizarro was killed while seated in his vehicle at around 5:15 a.m. on North Henry Street in Greenpoint. According to the New York Police Department, an unidentified person approached the 31-year-old’s car, opened his door, and shot him several times in the face and neck. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at Woodhull Hospital.
Filming for the hit crime series was scheduled to take place that day, and Pizarro arrived early at the parking area to set up the perimeters for the staff members. A cone was found nearby his vehicle. The production had a permit from the city to shoot “Law & Order: Organized Crime” that day.
Residents in the neighborhood were shocked to learn of the killing, as it is not uncommon to see parking employees in the area.
“They’re just doing their job, just setting out cones and making sure cars are where they belong,” said resident Ian Oberholtzer.
A man dressed in all black was seen fleeing the scene of the shooting. While police are confident that Pizarro was targeted, a motive remains unclear. One news source reported that investigators suspected Pizarro of selling marijuana out of the car and that his death resulted from a robbery gone wrong, though that theory remains unsubstantiated.
No arrests have been made.
