Beloved Bodega Owner Killed By Stray Bullet In Harlem

Excenia Mette

Harlem Mourns Beloved Bodega Owner Killed by Stray Bullet

By Ximena Rodríguez-López

Harlem, NY — A Harlem community is grieving the tragic loss of 61-year-old Excenia Mette, a longtime bodega owner affectionately known as “Momma Zee,” who was fatally struck by a stray bullet in a shootout outside her apartment building late last week.

The incident occurred near West 144th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, in the vicinity of her home and the small corner store she operated for over two decades. Police say Mette was an unintended victim caught in the crossfire between two men exchanging gunfire on the sidewalk below her residence. She was pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital shortly after the shooting.

Mette was known for her warm demeanor, generosity with neighborhood children, and unwavering commitment to the block she called home. Her death has stunned local residents, many of whom relied on her store not only for groceries but as a gathering place for connection and community support.

One suspect, a 26-year-old man whose name has not yet been released by police, has been arrested and is facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Authorities are still searching for the second individual involved in the shooting.

Community members gathered over the weekend for a candlelight vigil outside her bodega, placing flowers, handwritten notes, and votive candles beneath a photograph of Mette. The incident has reignited concerns over rising gun violence in the city and the toll it continues to take on bystanders. According to NYPD statistics, the number of innocent victims injured or killed in shootings has increased since the start of the year, with Harlem seeing a disproportionate share of the violence.

Local officials and advocacy groups have called for renewed investments in community safety, youth programs, and gun control measures to address the underlying causes of the violence. Excenia Mette is survived by two adult children and four grandchildren.