Man Robbed, Killed on East 39th Street

A 29-year-old leaving his overnight shift with coworkers was fatally shot on East 39th Street yesterday morning. The incident occurred at 7:40AM, outside the Williams Club (per investigators, 1010WINS reports "the violence had nothing to do" with the 100-year-old club).

Charles Ross, a Brooklyn resident, had just left the Darcel Group, a legal document company where he worked as a printer, and was heading to the subway. His friends say a man who walked up behind them started shouting with Ross; witnesses say the man yelled, "I told you I'd do this!" as well as "Give up what you owe!" (the Daily News calls it a "pay-back robbery").

The man shot Ross in the neck and then went through Ross' pockets, possibly taking jewelry including a diamond and gold cross worth $10,000. Ross died at the scene and the police are still looking for the shooter and possible accomplices. The police are also looking at surveillance video in the area.

His brother explained to the News they each got $50,000 after their father had a fatal heart attack while driving a Department of Transportation truck, and Ross spent some on jewelry. The brother said, "I was telling him last night that he should tone down what he wears because he could get robbed."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on February 25, 2008 9:02 AM

Comments [rss]

aow

PS: this was far from a "pay back robbery" as coined by the daily news. just a kid who got some cash and wanted some jewelry and was stupid about it. don't believe the hype!

aow

the brother was my AP english student last year. a smart, gentle, poetry-writing young man. how this could happen is just sick. esp. when it seems his brother was just going to work and doing the right thing, not gang banging or other crap like that. this isn't the first time i have had a student shot/murdered for coming out of work at the wrong place/wrong time IN manhattan. but they're all minorities, so i guess it is expected by the press, police, etc. effed up stuff.

Gentrifier

Nothing random about that.

Gentrifier

Nothing random about that.

JacqueMehoff

I dunno, 7:40 in the AM shooting.

most people are in bed. someone woke up pretty early in the morning to do this and on a weekend, too.

Talk about motivation.