NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A gunman was sentenced to 12 years in prison for opening fire outside a Brooklyn bar in 2023, injuring a man, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Friday.
Hajj Lovick, 48, was convicted of attempted murder, attempted assault, assault, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal use of a firearm on Dec. 11.
According to the evidence, at approximately 1:40 a.m. on June 15, 2023, Lovick stepped out of Lover’s Rock located at 419 Tompkins Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant with the victim, a 51-year-old man and engaged in a verbal dispute.
Lovick was armed with a knife and feinted use of it against the victim, as if he was going to stab him, prosecutors said. The victim was unarmed.
After the dispute died down, Lovick left the vicinity of Lover’s Rock and entered a nearby building but returned minutes later with a gun and fired twice toward the victim and several bystanders, officials said.
The victim was struck once in his right shin. He was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County where he was treated and released. There were no other victims.
Lovick fled the scene and was arrested on June 19, 2023.
Video surveillance captured the moments before the shooting, the shooting, and the aftermath of the shooting and a knife was recovered from Lovick at the time of his arrest, prosecutors said.
"Today’s sentence sends a clear message that senseless acts of gun violence have no place in Brooklyn. The defendant’s decision to open fire over a petty argument not only caused serious harm to the victim but endangered innocent lives in our community. This brazen disregard for safety is unacceptable," D.A. Gonzalez said. "As Brooklyn reached the lowest number of shootings ever recorded last year, we remain steadfast in our commitment to holding individuals who perpetrate gun violence accountable to ensure our borough remains a safer place for all."